Bayley's Universe
by shiki94
Summary: *Parody of Steven Universe* Join Bayley Martinez as she grows up with her guardians, the Crystal Gems, and her other friends and finds herself coming into her own as a Crystal Gem, keeping her hometown safe, and meeting others along the way. Rated T for scenes involving fighting. **Cover drawn by me**
1. At The Store

***nervous laugh* OK. I have got to have some of the worst sorta ADD in the world. But...I just gotta post this! *clears throat* OK. Lately I've noticed that _a lot_ of my stuff is bordering on being sorta depressing (IDK why...that's just my style, I guess). At any rate, I decided that I'd try something totally new and different and write something that will be _mostly_ upbeat and happy. I'm writing a WWE-style parody of one of my favorite cartoons, Steven Universe! =D Now, this is purely experimental, so I hope you guys like this enough to give it a chance. Enjoy, my loves. =)**

 **Disclaimer: I own none of the wrestlers or anything from or relating to Steven Universe. Everything relating to Steven Universe is the property of the show's creator, Rebecca Sugar. The wrestlers used in this are the property of themselves, WWE, TNA, and the various other promotions they work for.**

"NOOOO!" young Bayley Martinez could be heard yelling in the convenience store she normally went to. "It can't be!" Grabbing the nearby blonde in a tight hug, Bayley said "Emma! Please! Tell me it isn't so!"

"Let go of me, Bayley! Can't you see that I'm trying to restock the shelves here?" the blonde, an Australian teenager named Emma Dashwood said after she managed to wiggle her way out of Bayley's grip.

Watching as the ponytailed brunette slumped to the floor, the cashier, a brunette teen wearing glasses named Josh Matthews said "I'm sorry, Bayley. I guess they just stopped making them."

"Stopped making them?! But... but, why would they stop making Cookie Cats? They're only the single most delicious ice cream treat in the whole wide world. Has the world gone mad or something?!" Bayley asked.

"Tough cookies, Bay. I guess they just couldn't compete with Lion Lickers," Emma said as she put some bags of chips on one of the shelves and cast a quick glance back over to one of the freezers on the other side of the store that had a sign that said "Lion Lickers" on it.

"Oh, man! Not Lion Lickers. No one even likes these yucky things," Bayley said, sticking her tongue out in disgust before putting her hands on her hips and, shaking her head, saying "Kids these days. I tell you what." Walking back over to the mini refrigerator that once held her beloved ice cream treats, Bayley traced a drawing of a cat on the chilled glass front of the fridge while saying "Oh, Cookie Cats. With your creamy ice cream inside and your crunchy cookie outside...you were too good for this world" before kissing the outer edge of the fridge and hugging the machine.

Watching this rather sad display happen before him with Emma watching on beside him, Josh asked "Um, Bayley?"

Not saying anything, Bayley turned her head towards the older spiky-haired brunette, a slight pout on her face.

"Do you want to take the Cookie Cat fridge home with you? We probably won't be needing it anymore since Cookie Cats are discontinued," Josh said.

Hearing Josh offer her the fridge that once held her beloved ice cream sandwich treats, Bayley grinned widely and nodded her head vigorously while saying "Thank you thank you thank you thank you so much, Josh!" Bouncing in place as she let go of the mini fridge and Josh unplugged it for her, Bayley just couldn't wait to take it back home and show her guardians what she got from the store today.

 **And thus begins my WWE-style spin on Steven Universe (one of the best cartoons on TV today). I hope you guys that gave this a try stay tuned for the next part. In the next part, we meet the WWE versions of the other three Crystal Gems. Any guesses on who they may be? If not, stay tuned to find out. And, don't forget to R &R please to let me know if this is a keeper. =)**


	2. What Makes a Gem Glow?

**Wow. I'm actually amazed I got reviews, faves, and follows on this. I'm glad that I've got some takers for this little ficcy of mine. Thanks so much for giving it a chance, guys. ^^ Now, at the end of last chapter, I said that I'd be introducing who the WWE versions of the Crystal Gems. I hope you guys like my choices and how I've written them. =)**

 **(Also, I didn't quite clarify this at the beginning, but I'm writing Bayley as a 12-year-old in this. Hopefully, that'll explain her kiddyness in sections. =P)**

Running home as she happily hummed a tune from a commercial she had seen many times on TV, Bayley held tightly to the cord to her new treasure in the Cookie Cat mini fridge as she ran up the hill and steps to her house. Opening the door, Bayley began saying "Hey, guys. I'm ho- AAH!" only to get caught offguard by a black caterpillar-like monster with a white mane of hair and large green crystals going down its back that snarled and began snapping its jaws at her. Bayley let out another scream as the monster got closer to her only for a black whip with white crystals along the length of it to come flying forward and wrap around the monster's neck, causing the monster to let out a screech. Looking along the length of the whip to see its owner, Bayley couldn't help but grin a grateful grin at her savior.

Keeping the monster pulled away from Bayley, the owner of the whip, a man with sandy blonde hair, simply threw up a peace sign and said "'Sup, Bayley" before swinging his whip across the room and sending the creature flying, causing it to explode in a cloud of dust.

"Whoa. That was so cool, Dean!" Bayley said to the sandy blonde man, only for him to send a quick grin Bayley's way before taking off after another one of the same creatures as he ran past a man with long dark brown hair with a set of black, white, and blue gauntlets who was punching at several of the monsters, causing them all to explode into dust.

"Bayley's here?" a man with two-toned brunette and blonde hair asked from where he was wrangling one of the creatures. Finally having managed to keep his grip on the caterpillar-like monster, the two-toned man said "We're so sorry, Bayley. We'll try to have these centipeedles cleared out of your room in a hurry."

"Aww, don't get rid of them _all_ , Seth. I think these things are actually kinda cute," Bayley said; however, the ponytailed brunette reconsidered her words as the centipeedle the two-toned man, Seth, was holding snarled before spitting up a bit of acid that ate through some of the floor near where the two people were standing.

Sending another centipeedle flying as it collided with one of the walls and exploded into a cloud of dust, Dean scratched his head and said "Hey, guys. Unless I missed something, these things don't have gems."

"That must mean there's a mother somewhere nearby," the brunette man said.

"Roman's right," Seth said, still keeping his hold on the same centipeedle as it hissed lowly in his grip. "We'll need to try to find it soon before it can spawn more of these things."

"Ooh! Can I come with you guys this time? Can I, can I _please_?" Bayley pleaded with the two-toned man.

"Bayley. It's like we've told you before. You can't come on the more dangerous missions with us until you've learned to better control the powers of your gem," Seth said, a concerned smile on his face as he casually cracked the neck to the centipeedle causing it to explode into a cloud of dust. "OK?"

"OK, I guess," Bayley said, hanging her head a bit before hissing in the direction of the refrigerator and the open freezer door caught her attention. Looking up, she saw two centipeedles snapping at the fridge like they were trying to get to what lied inside. Running over as quickly as she could as she slid the Cookie Cat mini fridge off of her back, Bayley waved the creatures away as she said "Go away! Shoo, shoo! That'll teach those nasty things to try to eat my food."

The centipeedles scurried away from the young brunette only to come into contact with Roman, who cracked his gauntlet-covered knuckles and, with a couple of well-placed punches, sent the creatures flying as they both exploded into dust.

"Nice going, Ro," Bayley said, smiling at the brunette man who returned Bayley's smile with a slight smile of his own and a nod of his head. Bayley was just about to close the freezer door when a quick look inside caused the young brunette to let out a squeal of surprise.

"Bayley, what is it? What's wrong?" Seth asked, concerned for the younger brunette.

Reaching into the freezer, Bayley pulled out one of the things that caused her to squeal in surprise: a pink and white plastic wrapper with a picture of a smiling brown cat head on it and the words "Cookie Cat" in brown letters on the packaging. "No way! Where did you guys get these? I thought they stopped making them!"

"Well, we heard that they were being discontinued, and since they're one of your favorite treats-" Seth began only for Dean to cut in and, grinning as he sat on one of the stools around the bar in the kitchen, say "We went out and stole a bunch for ya!" Seth groaned a bit at Dean saying this and, rolling his eyes, said " _I_ suggested that we go to the factory and buy you some."

"The whole thing was _my_ idea," Roman said as he walked over to Bayley and the other two men.

"Uh, it was actually _all_ _three_ of ours' idea," Dean said, casting a sideways look over at the taller brunette man.

Holding up his hands as he willed his gauntlets away, Roman said "Yeah, not really."

Rolling his eyes at the other two men arguing, Seth said "Look. It doesn't matter whose idea it was. As long as Bayley's happy, that's all that matters."

Bayley didn't seem to hear any of this as just being able to hold her beloved ice cream treat in her hands just seemed like a happy dream to her. Not even holding in what she wanted to get out next, Bayley launched into singing the song that would come on during some of the commercials. _"Ohhhhhhhh! He's a frozen treat with an all-new taste! 'Cuz he came to this planet from outer space! A refugee of an interstellar war. But now he's at your local grocery store! Cookie Cat! He's a pet for your tummy. Cookie Cat! He's super duper yummy. Cookie Cat! He left his family behind! Cookie Caaaaaaaat!_ Now available wherever ice cream and other frozen food items are sold." Once Bayley finished singing, Dean could only laugh at the cuteness of the younger brunette while Roman and Seth applauded Bayley singing her song. Looking around at the three older men, Bayley said "You guys are the best for buying these! I'm gonna savor them forever! ...Well. Maybe after I have just one." Tearing open the plastic wrapper, Bayley carefully pulled the ice cream sandwich out as she looked at the chocolate cookies shaped like a cat that was held together by a layer of half-strawberry and half-vanilla ice cream. Looking at the sandwich as she crumpled up the wrapper, Bayley grinned and said "Hello, old friend" before biting off the ears on the side with the strawberry ice cream. Letting the taste of chocolate cookie and strawberry ice cream fill her mouth, Bayley closed her eyes in bliss and said "Mmm. So good. I like to start with eating the ears first", unaware of the fact that the area around her navel was starting to glow.

Seeing the glow, Dean and Roman shared a quick look of surprise before Dean said "Uh, Bayley? Look."

Not knowing what Dean was talking about, Bayley looked down as she pulled up the hem of her purple t-shirt and saw the pinkish-red gem that protruded from her belly button glowing. "Oh my gosh, guys! My gem is glowing! ...Wait! What do I do what do I do what do I do?!" Bayley said in a nervous panic as she began to bounce in place in anxiety.

Holding his hands up in a "Calm down" gesture when he saw the look of panic on Bayley's face, Seth said "OK, Bayley. Just calm down. Take a few deep breaths."

"Yeah. And try not to pee yourself, either," Dean said, a bit of a teasing smirk on his face.

"Please don't," Roman said, keeping a straight face at Dean saying this.

The glow from Bayley's gem eventually faded away, much to the disappointment of Bayley and her three guardians. Looking a bit upset as a slight pout came across her face, Bayley said "Aw, man! I thought I was actually going to be able to summon something." Sliding her mostly uneaten Cookie Cat back in its wrapper, Bayley looked to her guardians and asked "Can't you guys just teach me how to summon my weapon from my gem?"

Hearing the word "teach", Seth eagerly raised his hand and said "Oh! I'll go first!" Getting a go-ahead gesture from Dean and Roman, Seth waited for Bayley to put her ice cream back in the freezer before taking the younger brunette by the hand and walking with her out of the house and into the yard over to the big tree that was covered in pink flowers that were mostly in bloom. Stopping in front of the tree as Bayley sat down on the ground in front of him, Seth began his lecture. "Now, Bayley. To truly master the art of summoning your weapon from your gem, you need to be observant and conscious of your surroundings. Take notice of these flowers on the tree for example and how they fall when they're fully grown. It may seem easy what these flowers do, but the way they bloom, their very dance, it's all intricately woven into the great fabric and balance of nature. And, when you can become a part of this pattern, you too will be able to summon your weapon from your gem." And, for an visual aid, Seth closed his eyes as he summoned his weapon, a double-sided staff with a black shaft and a winding gold vine that wound down the length of the shaft, from the white gem in the middle of his forehead that he took care to keep hidden with his hair when he was out in town with either Bayley, the others, or by himself. Twirling his staff around one-handed before planting the end in the ground, Seth smiled and, opening his eyes as a few flower petals landed in his hand, said "Like so, see?"

As diligent as Bayley was during Seth's lecture, Bayley couldn't help but feel lost. After all, it's not like Seth was being crystal clear with what she was supposed to do as far as summoning her weapon from her gem went. Grabbing a few fallen flower petals in her hand, Bayley just looked down at the pink petals as Dean could be heard yelling "Hey, Bayley. I'm heading into town for a snack! Wanna come with?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure, Dean," Bayley said, standing up as she shoved the handfuls of flower petals she had into the pockets of her shorts and, throwing a quick "See you in a few, Seth!" over her shoulder, went to join the sandy blonde as the two then headed into town so that Dean could get something to eat. Walking alongside the sandy blonde, Bayley let Seth's lecture on how to summon her weapon replay through her head. _'So, Seth says I gotta be like a flower? How the heck does he expect me to be able to do something like that?'_ Bayley thought all while she followed Dean to the burger stand in town and stood as Dean ordered himself a bacon double cheeseburger, fries, and a vanilla milkshake. When Dean finally got his food, the two walked around to the side of the store as Dean took a seat at one of the empty tables and began eating as Bayley stayed standing. Reaching into her shorts pockets, Bayley pulled out the handfuls of flower petals and threw some of them up into the air as they came gently floating back down to the ground.

Watching as Bayley did this, Dean said "Please don't tell me Seth gave you that stupid flower talk about how to summon your weapon from your gem."

"It wasn't stupid, Dean. It was just…confusing. Seth said that I'm supposed to be like a flower…or something," Bayley said, running her fingers through her ponytail a bit confusedly.

Swallowing his bite of cheeseburger as he stood up and walked over to the younger brunette, Dean said "Listen, Bayley. All of that learning stuff is no fun. And, between you and me, I don't think you really need it."

"Well, did _you_ ever have to learn to summon your weapon, Dean?" Bayley asked after hearing the sandy blonde say this.

"Nope," Dean said bluntly. Shrugging his shoulders, Dean said "Honestly, whenever I need to summon my weapon, it just…happens. See, watch, Bayley." Closing his eyes he pulled the neckline of his black muscle shirt down, Dean made a fist over the white gem that protruded from his chest and summoned the same whip Bayley saw him fight with earlier. Seeing the look of surprise on Bayley's face, Dean smirked a good-natured smirk and said "See? Didn't even need to try at all."

Bayley was feeling beyond awestruck in that moment because she was just so surprised by how easy Dean made summoning his weapon look. Taking a seat at the same table Dean just went back to after the older man willed his whip away, Bayley rested her head on the cool glass tabletop as she let what both Seth and Dean just told her swirl around in her now-confused mind. _'So, I'm supposed to be like a flower…and do nothing? This is_ so _confusing! Maybe Ro's got a better answer,'_ Bayley thought. When Dean finally finished eating, Bayley headed back to the house with the sandy blonde as she tried to sort through both Seth and Dean's lessons; this however didn't exactly work the way the young brunette hoped as she was still thinking things through when the pair got back to the house to see Roman standing on the porch, looking at the area around the house. Dashing away from Dean and to the older brunette, Bayley yelled "Roman! Roman!"

Hearing his name being called and looking to see Bayley quickly running his way with Dean trailing a bit behind her, Roman stood in wait for the younger brunette. Once Bayley made her way up the hill and steps, Roman let out a slight chuckle before saying "Yes, Bayley?"

Breathing quickly to catch her breath, Bayley asked "Roman. Can you help me with something?"

"Sure. What is it?" Roman asked.

"Do you think you could help me figure out how to summon my weapon from my gem? I've gotten a couple of different answers, but…neither were what I was really hoping for," Bayley said.

"Hmm. I suppose I could tell you," Roman said, causing Bayley to perk up a bit.

"Really? Thanks, Ro!" Bayley said as she gave Roman a quick hug.

"It's no problem, Bayley," Roman said, smiling a slight smile before giving Bayley a quick pat on the head. Once Bayley pulled away from him, Roman asked "So, what have you been told already?"

"Well, Seth told me that I gotta act like flowers and Dean told that I don't have to really do anything and that summoning my weapon will just…happen. I'm confused, Ro! Am I supposed to do both of those…or neither of them?" Bayley asked.

Letting all of what Bayley just told him sink in, Roman simply said "Yes." Seeing the blank and clearly confused look on the young brunette's face, Roman held up his hands and, showing Bayley the gems embedded in his hands, a white gem in his left hand and a blue gem in his right, said "Or. If you can channel the collective energy of all existing matter, you can use that to your benefit. Your benefit being able to summon and use the power of your gem and the weapon that lies within it. Another benefit being.…" before closing his eyes, cracking his knuckles, stretching his arms out, rolling his shoulders around, and summoning his gauntlets that then covered his hands. Holding his hands out before him, Roman said "At least, that's my way of doing it."

Hearing this explanation from Roman only served to send Bayley's thoughts spinning. In between what her guardians all told her, Bayley was honestly feeling more confused than she would've liked. So, not knowing what to say or do next, Bayley just hung her head as a defeated-sounding and exhausted sigh escaped her.

 **So... How about Dean as Amethyst, Roman as Garnet, and Seth as Pearl, the Crystal Gems? X3 Now, funny story: I was actually planning on using the other three members of the NXT Four Horsewomen as the WWE versions of the Crystal Gems...but, after I thought it over and consulted my muses, I got sold on the idea of having The (former) Shield be the Crystal Gems. And after writing this up, I just loved how well I got their gemsona styles across. ^^ Kiddie Bayley singing the Cookie Cat song...*laughs* that was too much fun and too cute for me to type. XD Oh, poor Bayley. All she wants to learn is how to summon her weapon from her gem...and all she got was a head full of confused thoughts. Bad Shield Gems for confusing Bayley! Maybe next chapter Bayley will figure out her own way of summoning her weapon. But, until then...don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	3. What Makes Her Gem Glow

**Yeesh. Short (for me) chapter. But, rest assured. This little chapter's full of cuteness that I'm sure you guys will like. That being said, I hope you guys all enjoy the next installment of Bayley's Universe. =)**

Standing in the kitchen after having paced around once she went inside, Bayley stopped near the fridge and, her forehead scrunched together in thought, said "I think maybe this'll be easier for me to do if I recreate what happened the last time I summoned my weapon."

"Um, Bayley?" Seth began to ask before Roman shaking his head at him stopped him from asking the ponytailed brunette his question.

"Hmm? What is it, Seth?" Bayley asked, looking over to the two-toned man.

Seeing the look of thought on her face, Seth said "Nothing. Continue with what you were about to do."

"OK!" Bayley chirped excitedly. A look of focus coming across her face, Bayley said "OK. Seth, you were standing over by the fridge. Dean, you were sitting on a stool in front of the kitchen island and, Roman, you were standing next to Dean." Once the three men were standing where they were just earlier this afternoon, Bayley then reached into the freezer and pulled out her mostly uneaten Cookie Cat. "And then I started to eat one of my Cookie Cats you guys got for me. Oh, wait. I sang the song first. Uh…he's a frozen treat, brand new taste, now available wherever ice cream and other frozen food items are sold. …That was a lot more fun to sing before now that I hear it out loud." Pulling the hem of her shirt to see that nothing was happening, Bayley pouted before sinking down to the kitchen floor, feeling defeated that this method of her trying to figure out how to summon her weapon didn't work. "Aww. Maybe…maybe I'm just not meant to be a Crystal Gem like you guys after all," Bayley said, slight defeat starting to color her features.

Seeing Bayley in such a state of despair was enough to make Seth, and even Roman and Dean, hurt. Ever since Bayley was left in their care, the trio wanted to do whatever they could to keep her healthy and happy. So to see Bayley so down about something as monumental as this was pretty upsetting to the older men.

Taking a seat on the floor next to Bayley, Seth said "Don't be too down on yourself, Bayley. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to really summon your weapon and control the powers of your gem."

"Seth's right, Bayley," Dean said. "You're still one of us...even if you haven't really been able to control your gem yet."

Looking over to see Roman give a simple nod of his head, Bayley smiled a bit and said "Thanks, you guys. And, even if I can't control my gem just yet, I still have you guys and I have my other friends and I have my Cookie Cats. That's more than enough for me" unaware of the fact that there was a glowing beam of light coming from her navel.

Seeing the glow, Dean immediately said "Whoa! Bayley, take a look at your belly button!"

Looking down to see what Dean was talking about, Bayley, along with Seth and Roman, was surprised to see the pink light that was coming from her belly button. Letting her gaze follow the trail of light, Bayley and the others were all surprised to see that, suspended in the air at the end of the light, was a pentagon-shaped purple shield. Letting out an excited gasp, Bayley watched as the shield fell to the ground with a clang and a clatter.

"Bayley," Seth said, a bit breathlessly. A wide smile covering his face, Seth then said "Your weapon, it's...it's a shield!"

Finally finding her words, Bayley said "Whoa! I get a shield?! Awesome!"

"How'd you manage to summon it?" Dean asked.

"I...I don't know," Bayley said, still surprised at this development. "I was just thinking of you guys and a lot of other stuff and...next thing I know, I'm looking up and seeing the light after Dean pointed it out."

Hearing Bayley say this, Roman began to think on this as Seth said "Whatever it is, I'm just glad that you seem to have finally managed to physically summon your weapon. Now, all we really need to do is help you learn to summon."

"But...but how will I summon it when I've just now summoned it?" Bayley asked, worriedly. She tried to hide her panic, but the ponytailed brunette couldn't help but worry. After all, with a happy accident like what just occured, how could she possibly be expected to willingly summon her shield in times of need? Bayley was so wrapped up in her own inner worry that she was surprised to feel a hand resting on top of her head. Looking up, Bayley was surprised to see that the hand belonged to Roman.

"Don't worry, Bayley. You'll find your own way to summon your shield," Roman said before adding, with a smile, "And I'm sure it'll be in your own Bayleyriffic way."

Smiling and giggling a bit, Bayley said "You're right, Ro. And, with you three to help me out, I'm sure I'll be as great at summoning my shield as you guys are",a deteremined look crossing her face as she looked ahead at her shield.

 ***nervously scratches the back of my head* OK. I'm fairly certain that a lot of you guys are thinking that this is sappy and cheesy and really sweet, but keep this in mind...it's (kiddie) Bayley and The (former) Shield together. That should justify why it seems like this fic of mine in particular is so cutesie and childish. *coughs* Anyway, don't forget to R &R please. =) (And if any of you fine readers would like to recommend a subject for a chapter of this, feel free to let me know either in your review or by PM.)**


	4. When Bayley Met Sami (Part 1)

**So, after the cuteness of last chapter, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Beware the cuteness of kiddie Bayley. BEWARE IT! XD ...And, like always, enjoy, everyone! =)**

 **(Also, I just noticed something weird in regards to this fic. The first three chapters were their own little story arc and this chapter is starting another arc. Maybe I oughta stick with that formula going forward in this. We'll see.)**

Even though Bayley had powers similar to the ones that Roman, Dean, and Seth had, she was still a kid. And that meant that she liked playing in the area that was near her house just like any other child would. Sometimes she'd be able to get one of the men that looked after her to play a game of some sort with her, but, mostly, she'd usually play on the vast area by herself, playing some manner of game by herself that would usually be something along the lines of a game a la hide and seek or something else like practicing climbing trees. It wasn't exactly going to an amusement park or hanging out with friends, but...it was fun. At least it was something to keep the sense of boredom and feeling of loneliness that would commonly rise up within the ponytailed preteen.

One particular day, however, Bayley went outside to something completely different.

As she ran down the hill and began to make her way to her favorite tree, Bayley stopped completely in her tracks when she saw ahead of her a boy sitting in front of one of the trees she'd usually climb, moving what Bayley guessed to be a pencil across the page. Quickly dashing behind one of the trees that was at the bottom of the hill, Bayley took a few quick peeks around the tree as she tried to get a feeling for just who this boy was. She knew there were other kids in the city because there were schools for all of the children and teenagers to go to...and because, some days when she'd go to the store Emma and Josh worked at, she'd see the two working on homework and helping each other as best they could. So, to see another kid-and one that looked to be pretty close to her age, at that-on the property that Roman, Dean, and Seth owned was a pretty huge surprise to the preteen. At that moment, Bayley wasn't sure what to do because she was feeling pretty nervous about trying to approach this boy. But...there was just something about him that struck her as interesting. She wasn't sure if it was his curly red hair, the focused look on his face, or the fact that he was dressed so casually, but there was one thing that Bayley knew for certain: This could be a chance for her to make a friend outside of Emma, Josh, Roman, Dean, and Seth. But the big question here remained...How would she go about trying to make the acquaintance of this boy?

 _'Come on, Bayley! It can't be_ this hard _to go over there and say Hi! It's just so simple. OK. Let's do this!'_ Bayley thought before giving a firm nod of her head. As she prepared to walk around the tree, however, she turned around and ran away, heading back up the hill to her house. Once she got to the front door, she threw it open and closed it behind her just as quickly.

Looking up from what he was looking at, Seth said "Bayley. You're back pretty early. I thought you were going to go play one of your little games for a bit."

"I was, but-" Bayley began before asking "Uh, Seth? What're you doing with one of my Cookie Cats?"

Looking between Bayley and the aforementioned unwrapped ice cream sandwich and back to Bayley, Seth said "Oh! Well, I was checking it out."

"You were checking out my Cookie Cat?" Bayley asked, feeling a bit confused. "Why?"

"Well. I've been thinking. Ever since you summoned your shield the other day, I've been curious about what might've caused you to be able to summon it. And, I was thinking that maybe it had something to with these ice cream sandwiches you like so much," Seth said.

"And? Do you think me summoning my shield might have something to do with me eating Cookie Cats?" Bayley asked, internally hoping that her beloved ice cream sandwiches weren't the direct cause of her finally summoning her shield as Seth would probably see them as something she couldn't have anymore.

"I don't think so. Aside from these things being surprisingly healthy despite them being ice cream and cookies, I don't think they're at all related to you summoning your shield," Seth said.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Bayley said "That's good. At least I can still enjoy them before I'm completely out."

"Yep," Seth said, nodding his head and smiling as he slid the ice cream treat back into its wrapper and put it back in the freezer. Turning back to look at Bayley, Seth noticed that the ponytailed brunette seemed a bit...frazzled about something; and this was odd because Bayley never really got worked up over anything. Taking the chance to ask, Seth asked "Bayley, are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, sure I'm fine, Seth. Why would ask something like that?" Bayley asked, not really wanting to have a talk with Seth over something like what was going on with her right now.

"Because you rushed in here pretty fast and you seem a bit tense about something," Seth said. "Is everything alright?"

"Well... Yes! I mean, no! I mean...I don't really know!" Bayley said, trying not to shout.

Seeing and hearing that Bayley seemed fairly worked up about something, Seth said "Come here and take a seat, Bayley. Tell me what's on your mind."

While Bayley didn't exactly want to talk with Seth, she felt it would be best to do so seeing as how Seth was obviously concerned about why she was so worked about something. And besides. Maybe she could get some helpful advice from Seth on how to best learn how to go about talking the boy she saw and maybe making friends with him. Walking over to the kitchen island and climbing up the stool that was by Seth, Bayley took a breath and let it out before saying "OK. Here's what's bothering me."

 **D'aawww! It would appear as though Bayley could be on the verge of making a new friend. Now the poor dear just needs to work on building up her courage towards making friends with this boy. At least she has Seth there to talk with about how she could possibly go about doing so. Now the big question here is...Will Bayley be able to work up her nerve and courage to try to talk to the boy she saw? Stay tuned for the next installment. And until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(Also, I got a review from a reader wondering if the Cookie Cats had anything to do with Bayley summoning her shield. Hopefully, the answer I gave here will help satisfy their curiosity on this matter. =) )**


	5. When Bayley Met Sami (Part 2)

_Walking over to the kitchen island and climbing up the stool that was by Seth, Bayley took a breath and let it out before saying "OK. Here's what's bothering me."_

 **After all of the cuteness of last chapter, have some more Bayley and Seth bonding cuteness. =3 I hope you guys enjoy. =)**

 **(Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for any blood sugar spikes, "Squee!"s, or "D'aawww!"s you may have while reading this. I only write what I feel/know will work in each chapter.)**

"So, you know how I like to go play in the trees, right? Well...I went to practice climbing one of my favorite trees, when, as I'm going down the hill, I get to the bottom and, there, at the bottom of my tree is a boy! Can you believe that, Seth?" Bayley asked, looking over to the two-toned man.

"Well, a bit I can. After all, even though Roman, Dean, and I own this property, we allow the residents of the city to come here so long as they aren't doing anything dangerous and after they get our say-so. Although, I don't think I remember letting any kids come here," Seth said, musing out loud. "Just what did this boy look like, Bayley?"

"Umm... Well, he had curly red hair and he was wearing a dark blue shirt, a pair of pants, and a pair of blue and white shoes. I think I saw him doing something in a book too," Bayley said. "The weird thing about the boy is that he looked like he was probably about my age."

"He did? Bayley, that's great news! That means you could make a new friend other than me and the others and Josh and Emma," Seth said, obviously excited to hear this. "Did you go and talk to the boy?"

"No! That's why I'm talking to you right now! The boy _is_ what's bothering me!" Bayley said, a bit of a pinkish blush starting to climb up her cheeks.

"I don't quite understand. Why is this boy bothering you so much?" Seth asked, feeling a bit confused.

"Because...well...I've never met other kids my age before, let alone a boy. I'd like to try to make friends with him, but I don't know how to go about doing that. What do you recommend I do, Seth?" Bayley asked, looking over to the older man.

"Hmm. For starters, calm down. You're not going to do yourself any real favors if you're so wound up about this before you could even go talk to the kid," Seth said, trying to calm the preteen down. Seeing that Bayley had closed her eyes as she took a few breaths in and out, Seth went on with his pep talk with Bayley. "Now, would it make you feel any better if someone went with you when you go to talk to the kid? Something's telling me that you might need a bit of support to help you break the ice with your prospective new friend."

"That'd be pretty great, but...you know I don't exactly have any other friends my age that could go with me to talk to him," Bayley said, hanging her head a bit.

Hearing Bayley say this, Seth couldn't help but grin as he said "Never say never or don't, Bayley."

Feeling confused upon hearing Seth say this, Bayley looked over to the older man and asked "Huh? What do you mean, Seth?"

"What I mean is...well, what if you had someone your own age go with you to meet the kid?" Seth asked, his grin still in place.

"It's like I said, that'd be great, but I don't know any other kids my age. And, even if I did, I think they'd all be in school right now, anyway," Bayley said. "Why do you say so?"

Leaning forward, Seth asked "What if I told you that you could have someone your age go to meet the kid and he was here?"

"Really?!" Bayley asked, very surprised to hear Seth say this. Seeing the older man nod his head, Bayley smiled and excitedly said "That'd be so great, Seth! Where is he? Where is he at?"

Pointing at himself, Seth said "You're looking at him", his grin never leaving his face.

Immediately feeling confused again, Bayley said "Um, Seth. You're not exactly my age."

"Not yet, I'm not," Seth said, grin still in place as he slid off of the stool. Once he was standing in front of Bayley, Seth closed his eyes as he took a few breaths in and let them out.

Bayley wasn't quite sure what to make of Seth doing all of this until she saw the gem in Seth's forehead start to emit a white glow that seemed to spread down and around Seth's body. What happened next surprised the brunette preteen: As she watched Seth, Bayley was very surprised to see Seth's body begin to shrink down from the taller adult that he was. He had shrunken down a good many feet and inches before the glow surrounding him dissipated and what was left standing in the kitchen was a much younger version of Seth, a four foot-four inch tall boy with a sorta shaggy crop of two-toned hair and who was dressed in a blue t-shirt that had a picture of a Squirtle and its evovled forms on it, a pair of black pants, and a pair of dark blue Converses.

Combing his hair down to cover his gem, Seth said, in a much younger sounding voice, "Ta-da! You have a new friend to go with you to make another new friend! I don't normally shapeshift unless it's for something crucial, but I felt that it'd be okay to bend my rules just this once."

Still in awe over what she just saw, Bayley just blinked as her mouth hung wide open in surprise. Bayley still didn't know a lot about just what she, Seth, Roman, and Dean were as the only thing she really knew was that they had powers that they used to help protect the people that lived in their city from the creatures that they encountered. So, to see that Seth just turned himself from the older version of himself to this child version was pretty surprising to the brunette. Finally managing to find her words after hearing Seth call her name, Bayley grinned widely and said "Whoa, Seth. That was _so cool!_ "

Grinning widely at Bayley's surprise over his transformation, Seth said "Thanks. I figured doing this is the least I could do to help you break some of your nervousness so that you can try to make a new friend. You're going to need people your own age to play with and talk to, so just consider this me helping you out."

Leaping off of the stool as she caught Seth in a big hug, Bayley said "Thank you, Seth!"

Returning Bayley's hug with one of his own as best he could, Seth said "It's no problem, Bayley." Pulling away from Bayley with the ponytailed brunette doing the same thing, Seth, grin still in place, said "Now. Let's go help you make a friend!"

 **...I feel as though I gotta apologize for laying on so much cuteness here, but...I just feel like it worked. I mean, think about it. Bayley needed a pep talk if she was going to try to make friends with the boy she saw, so Seth decided to help her out the best way he could. And he felt the best way to do so would be to go with the preteen as emotional support. His own way of lending emotional support...that's actually an idea that I got from watching a good number of Steven Universe episodes. Shapeshifting is a power that the Crystal Gems have, so I decided to impart that into the fic. I hope you guys like how I used it here. Next installment's going to be all about Bayley and Seth making friends with the red-haired boy. Until then, don't forget to R &R please. =) **


	6. When Bayley Met Sami (Part 3)

_Returning Bayley's hug with one of his own as best he could, Seth said "It's no problem, Bayley." Pulling away from Bayley with the ponytailed brunette doing the same thing, Seth, grin still in place, said "Now. Let's go help you make a friend!"_

 **So, after the cuteness of last chapter, here's some cuteness and a little extra in this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy. =)**

The red-haired boy was fairly new to Emerald Pines as this would-hopefully-make the last time he and his parents had to move to a new city. He was liking the last place they were in just fine...he had even managed to make a few new friends. So, to hear from his parents that they had to move again because of a job offer for his dad really made the 12 year old feel upset that he and his family were going to have to pick up and move _yet again_. _'At least this place has a nice place like this. At least I know where I can come and work on some of my drawings,'_ the boy thought, his pencil moving in lines and curves across the page of the sketchpad he had as he drew just a random picture of something from a cartoon he watched earlier in the day. The boy was so engrossed in his drawing that he almost didn't hear the voice of what sounded like another boy saying "Hey! Hey, you!" Looking up from his drawing, the boy was surprised to see two other kids coming his way, one boy and one girl. The boy had a somewhat shaggy crop of two-toned black and blonde hair and was wearing a blue t-shirt with what looked to be three turtles on it, black pants, and dark blue Converses. And the girl, who had long dark brown hair that was pulled into a side ponytail and had a headband in her hair, was dressed in a somewhat similar way. The girl was wearing a pink shirt that had a picture of a white cat in a red dress, a pair of knee length dark blue jean shorts, and a pair of red Converses that went up to her ankles. It was a bit surprising to the boy to actually have two kids approach him because, usually, he was the one that made attempts at trying to befriend the kids in all of the places he and his parents used to live; so, to be approached out of the blue by two kids was a bit of a surprise, but nothing he wasn't afraid to handle. Closing his sketchpad, the boy said "Um. Hello."

"Hi. Are you new here? I don't think I've ever seen you around before," said the boy with two-toned hair.

"Actually, I am. Me and my family just moved here because my dad got a job as a teacher at one of the school's in the city. I won't be going to school until my parents can get my paperwork done and sent to the middle school here. So, until then, I'm just getting a good feel for the city and the area around it," the boy said. Realizing he had struck up a conversation with two total strangers without really introducing himself, the boy said "I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Sami, Sami Zayn."

"Nice to meet you, Sami. I'm Seth, Seth Rollins. And, this right here with me is my cousin, Bayley Martinez," the two-toned boy, Seth, said, gesturing to himself and then to the girl beside him, who seemed a bit...shy.

"Nice to meet you both," Sami said, smiling at the two kids. A bit of confusion dawning on him, Sami asked "You two look like you guys are my age. Why aren't you two in school right now?"

"We aren't in school because we're homeschooled," Seth said. "We were actually just finishing up our classes for the day when Bayley was coming outside and she just happened to see you sitting in front of one of the trees."

"Do you guys stay around here somewhere?" Sami asked, surprised to hear that Bayley was able to find him so quickly.

Pointing to the house that sat on top of the hill, Seth said "Me and Bayley live up there with my older brothers. So, basically, this whole area around here is owned by my brothers."

"Really?" Sami asked, immediately feeling worried that he was trespassing on private property. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't see any signs up, so I was just thinking this was a free space anyone could go on. I could leave now if you want me to."

"No, no. It's okay, Sami. My brothers don't mind," Seth said, hoping to reassure the boy. "Just so long as you don't go crazy here, they don't really mind all that much."

"Are you sure?" Sami asked, not wanting to feel like he was intruding.

"Of course, Sami. Besides, I'm pretty sure that if my brothers had a problem with you being here, they would've been out here already," Seth said, this not exactly being a lie.

"If you...say so," Sami said, calming down a bit. Looking back up to Seth and Bayley, Sami noticed that Bayley hadn't really said much since she and Seth had came up to him. Not wanting to seem pushy, but feeling curious all the same, Sami asked "Hey, Seth. Is Bayley okay?"

"Yeah, she is. She just gets pretty shy when it comes to meeting new people," Seth said as he looked over to see that Bayley was looking down at the toes of her shoes. Resting a hand on Bayley's shoulder, Seth said "Relax, Bayley. Sami's cool. He's not going to hurt us. Besides, remember. _You_ were the one that wanted to come talk to him first."

"I know, Seth, I know," Bayley finally said. Looking up from her shoes and over to Sami, Bayley shyly smiled and waved at Sami, saying "Hi, Sami. Welcome to Emerald Pines."

"Hi" was all Sami could manage to get out upon getting this greeting from Bayley. To actually see Bayley's face up close was fairly surprising as Sami wasn't counting on Bayley being so...so _cute_. Even though he had just met the ponytailed brunette and her cousin, Sami couldn't help the warmth starting to climb up his cheeks.

Seeing this exchange between Bayley and Sami, Seth couldn't help but grin a bit because, in a way, he felt that Bayley meeting this new boy was going fairly well. He was on the verge of opening his mouth when he heard a low growl. Looking in the direction of where he heard the noise, Seth was startled to see a Centipeedle. Grabbing Bayley and pulling her behind him, Seth said "Bayley. Get Sami and take him up to the house."

"What? Why, Seth?" Bayley asked before getting her answer in the forms of the Centipeedle that was slowly making its way towards them and the sounds of Sami's startled screams. Running over to the redhead, Bayley said "Sami? Come with me. We need to get out of here."

Not seeming to hear Bayley and instead keeping his terrified gaze locked on the creature that was making its way towards them, Sami asked "W-wh-what _is_ that thing?"

"It's something bad that will hurt you. I can't explain now. You'll just have to come with me," Bayley said, grabbing Sami's hand and pulling the boy up to his feet. Bayley was fairly surprised to see that Sami wasn't really resisting her efforts to pull him away from the soon-to-be battle between Seth, who had already summoned his staff, and the Centipeedle that was still lowly growling. Casting one last look at the scene, Bayley pulled Sami behind her as the two ran for the hill. Turning around the trees that were at the bottom of the hill and running up the hill as fast she could, Bayley and Sami were almost at the house when another Centipeedle leapt up from the side of the hill and landed in front of the two, its maw wide open with acid dripping from its mouth. Stopping dead in her tracks, Bayley couldn't help the crippling sense of fear that took hold of her. She had seen the Centipeedles in the house the day she got the Cookie Cat mini fridge from the store, and she thought they seemed fairly harmless for the most part; but to see one like this in front of her now was fairly terrifying as she didn't know how she'd even begin to try to attack. She had just learned to summon her shield the other day, so she wasn't exactly sure how she could actively defend herself in a situation like the one she found herself in now. She couldn't even hear Sami's frantic yelling or the Centipeedle's low growling as the next thing she knew, a stream of green acid was coming her and Sami's way. Snapping out of her fear-filled daze, Bayley held both of her hands in front of her and shouted " _NO!"_ What happened next surprised both kids: From Bayley's outstretched palms, her shield came out, only it was bigger than it was the last time she had summoned it as it was big enough to keep both her and Sami protected from the acid. Smiling in immense relief over this, Bayley looked to a very surprised Sami and shouted "Sami, get behind me! It's safe behind my shield!" Seeing Sami hesitate before getting behind her, Bayley kept her hands out and her shield up as the Centipeedle spat more acid in her direction. Still scared of trying to figure out just _how_ she'd kill the Centipeedle, Bayley screamed "Dean! Roman! I need some help out here!" Her screams of help were suddenly answered when the door to the house swung wide open and Roman practically flew out, his gauntlets already summoned as he rocketed down and landed a thunderous punch that got a shrieking scream from the Centipeedle before it exploded into a cloud of dust. Lowering her arms as her shield disappeared, Bayley ran forward and wrapped her arms around Roman in a tight hug as she said "Thank you thank you thank you thank you _so much_ , Roman" and felt Roman one armedly return her hug with one of his own.

Having watched all of this happen before him, Sami was pretty amazed by all of what he just saw. In between the monsters, Bayley making a shield just appear out of nowhere and the guy flying out of the house and punching-basically, _killing_ -the monster, it all seemed like a lot for the 12 year old to process; even more so when he saw Seth just fly up the side of the hill and join Bayley with the man. It had barely registered on him that he was being asked if he was okay until he saw Bayley looking at him and talking to him. Finally managing to find his words, Sami said "Whoa. That was so _awesome_!"

 **Well, now. Looks like Bayley making the acquaintance of the red-haired boy certainly went rather...unexpectedly. Just to recap right quick, we have a new character introduced in Sami Zayn, who's the new kid in town. And it looks like he took to meeting Seth and Bayley pretty well. The only thing about this encounter is that pesky and lethal Centipeedles had to show up and ruin the fun. Hooray for Bayley defending both herself and Sami until Roman came and saved the day. And, after all of this, it's pretty surprising that Sami said that everything he just saw was awesome (where most people would probably collapse in total shock). Next part is going to round out and end this little arc of Bayley's Universe, so until that installment, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	7. When Bayley Met Sami (Part 4)

_Having watched all of this happen before him, Sami was pretty amazed by all of what he just saw. In between the monsters, Bayley making a shield just appear out of nowhere and the guy flying out of the house and punching-basically, killing-the monster, it all seemed like a lot for the 12 year old to process; even more so when he saw Seth just fly up the side of the hill and join Bayley with the man. It had barely registered on him that he was being asked if he was okay until he saw Bayley looking at him and talking to him. Finally managing to find his words, Sami said "Whoa. That was so awesome!"_

 **And, here it is! The last part of the "When Bayley Met Sami" arc of Bayley's Universe. I hope you guys enjoy! =)**

Seeing the boy that Bayley was talking to, Dean asked "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA now! Who's the kid? And why's he here?"

Sensing that she had some major explaining to do, Bayley said "Uh, Dean. Roman. This is Sami Zayn. He's a new kid in the city and I just met him today."

"She's not lying, guys," Seth piped up from where he was standing. "Bayley came in the house and told me all about him after she saw him sitting in front of one of the trees she usually plays around."

"That would explain why you look like a munchkin, Seth," Dean said, cutting in.

Watching as Seth punched Dean on the arm, Bayley looked up at Roman and said "I'm sorry I didn't let you guys know sooner. It's just...I don't really have any friends outside of you guys, Josh, and Emma, so I wanted to make a new friend. Even though it's only been a day, I think me and Sami can be considered friends, so...I just hope you guys will let me see him again."

Hearing Bayley say all of this, Roman wasn't quite sure to respond. He knew that Bayley was right about not having much in the way of friends-which isn't good for a kid her age-and it was something that he and the others wanted to work towards helping Bayley with, so to hear that Bayley had managed to make a new friend _mostly_ on her own was pretty great news for the older Gem to hear. Not saying anything, Roman simply laid a hand on Bayley's head as he ruffled the preteen's hair. Once Bayley looked up at him, Roman smiled and simply said "Yes."

"Yes to what, Ro?" Bayley asked.

"Yes, you can see Sami again," Roman said, his smile still in place. Seeing the look of surprise on Bayley's face, Roman said "Bayley. We've got nothing against you wanting to make friends with kids your own age. In fact, this is something that we've been hoping for for a very long time. So, the fact that you're finally taking steps towards making new friends is great. Just promise us that you'll be safe when you're with Sami. Like I'm sure you noticed today, things probably won't always be safe and okay for you guys, so just promise that you'll be observant and aware of your surroundings."

"I will, Ro. I promise," Bayley said, nodding her head. Smiling widely, Bayley gave Roman a tight hug and said "Thanks, Roman!"

"No problem," Roman said. Pulling away from the younger brunette, Roman said "Now, let's check you and Sami out to make sure that you two are okay."

"OK, Ro," Bayley said, nodding her head. Turning to look at Sami, Bayley said "Sami. Roman's going to look us over to make sure we didn't get hurt just then."

"Oh, OK," Sami said, nodding his head. As Roman went about looking he and Bayley over to make sure that neither of the two was hurt, Sami was still fairly awestruck by all of what he saw. He had only seen fights like that in some of the shows he's seen, so to see something like it happen in front of him was one of the coolest things he had ever seen...and that was saying a lot since he and his family had been to a lot of different places in the world. After Roman was done looking he and Bayley over, Sami said "Whoa. I still don't even know what it was that I just saw there. But...it was so cool! Does stuff like that happen here a lot?"

"Just to me and the guys here," Bayley said. "Things can get pretty dangerous here, so...I don't know if you coming here anymore would be a smart thing to do."

"Aww, that's a bummer," Sami said, a slightly sad looking coloring his face.

Seeing that Sami seemed genuinely disappointed at being told that he couldn't come around anymore, Roman said "Well, now, hold on. I think our little...infestation problem might be nearly gotten rid of. And when it's finally taken care of, I don't see why Sami can't come back."

"Really?" Sami asked.

"Of course, Roman said. "But, when you come here, you'll have to promise me, Dean, and Seth that you'll be okay with Bayley. And that if there's anything in the way of trouble, you'll let us know."

"I promise," Sami said, nodding his head.

"Good," Roman said, nodding his head. Looking over to Bayley, Roman said "Same applies to you too, Bayley."

"I know, Ro," Bayley said, nodding her head. While Bayley seemed a bit calmed down on the outside, on the inside, she was exploding with joy. She'd actually get to see Sami again! She'd actually get to see the first friend her age she'd made! Things just couldn't be better for the ponytailed preteen.

Before long, it was time for Sami to be heading home as he had gotten a call on his cellphone from his parents telling him that he had to come home soon. Saying his goodbyes to Roman, Dean, Seth, and, lastly, Bayley, Sami took off and headed home, a smile on his face.

Once Sami was gone, Bayley turned to Seth and the others and, a big smile on her face, said "Thanks for letting Sami come back here, guys!"

"No problem, Bayley," Seth said, smiling. "It's like we've been saying. We only want what's best for you in life. So, you making another friend in Sami falls into that range."

"Seth's right, y'know?" Dean said, a lopsided smile on his face. "We just want our favorite munchkin to be happy."

Roman simply nodded with a smile still on his face as a way of saying "They're both right."

Smiling, Bayley said "I think I'm gonna head back to the house now. I'm a bit hungry, so I want something to eat."

"OK. You head on and we'll probably be inside in a few," Seth said. Watching as Bayley sped past them and headed inside the house, Seth turned back to look at Roman and said "I think Sami's a good kid. He and Bayley really seemed to hit it off with each other."

"How much of it was Bayley making friends with Sami and how much was it you stepping in?" Roman asked, looking down at the still child form of Seth.

Nervously scratching the back of his head, Seth said "I... _may_ have been the one that got the ball rolling with talking to Sami. But, after that, it was all Bayley as far as talking to Sami went."

"That's good," Roman said, nodding his head.

"I think this is great. Bayley's made a friend today. That's a pretty big accomplishment for her," Dean said. "Now, we'll just have to work on helping her make some more."

Hearing Dean say this got Seth to thinking. The sandy blonde Gem was right. Bayley _did_ need to make more friends, especially more friends her age. And making friends with Sami was a good step forward. Now, he and the other Gems just had to work more towards helping Bayley with making other friends. After all, it could turn out to be one of the best things for Bayley.

 **Yay! Bayley (and, by extension, Seth, Roman, and Dean) made a new friend! It seems like Sami's going to become really great friends with Bayley. He'll just have to make sure that he'll be safe whenever he goes over to Bayley's house. Same goes for Bayley, but she already knows that. So, with the success of having made a new friend, what's to come next for our favorite lovable ponytailed preteen? Stay tuned to find out. And, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	8. A Daze of School Days (Part 1)

**And, with the introduction of Sami in the last arc of the story, now we leap into the start of a new arc. "What is this new arc?" you might be asking. Read on to find out, my loves. And, enjoy. =)**

Bayley still couldn't believe that she had made such a good friend in Sami. Just the fact that he still wanted to hang out with her despite all of what happened the day they first met was pretty surprising to the brunette preteen. If there was actually one thing that made their newfound friendship a bit tricky to work around, it was the fact that, after a few days and the paperwork finally went through, Sami started to go to the middle school that was in town. While she was still able to hang out with Sami when he got out of school, it still made Bayley a bit antsy to have to wait a few hours just to be able to hang out with Sami. And, some days, she couldn't even do that because Sami would have homework to work on that he couldn't get away from. It actually bummed Bayley out quite a bit that she couldn't hang out with one of her friends, but she just got used to it. After all, school seemed pretty important to Sami, so she just made due with time on her own while Sami was in school.

"School's been pretty fun," Sami said one day when he was sitting in the local ice cream shop with Bayley. "I'm sure you'd like it a lot if you came."

"I think I would too, Sami. But...I don't really do so well around crowds sometimes," Bayley said, twirling her spoon around in the ice cream sundae she had.

"Trust me. I know the feeling," Sami said, plucking off a piece of his ice cream sandwich and then popping it into his mouth. "After getting moved around a lot, making friends isn't exactly one of my strong suits."

"Well...you made friends with me and Seth," Bayley pointed out, sticking her tongue out at the redhead. "That's two friends for you right there."

Laughing at what the brunette said, Sami said "Yeah, you're right. It's just... I don't know. Part of me just gets worried that...the minute I _do_ make any friends, my parents will just up and say one day that we have to move _again_."

Hearing Sami say all of this, Bayley could sort of relate to the redhead in a way. While she couldn't speak from experience about leaving behind friends, she could definitely get how it felt to have friends leave you. She could very vaguely remember times when Seth, Dean, and Roman would have others come visit the house that she knew were like them. She had become pretty close to them, and it always made her feel a bit bummed out when they would leave because, honestly, she would have no idea when she'd get to see any of them again. Taking a scoop of the strawberry ice cream in her sundae up, Bayley suggested "Well... What if I were to come to school with you?"

"What? Bayley. You would actually do that for me?" Sami asked, surprised to hear Bayley say this.

"Well...yeah," Bayley said, shoving the spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Swallowing down the creamy confection, Bayley said "Sami. I know you've been here in Emerald Pines for a while now...and I know that you haven't really had the best luck with making friends outside of me, Seth, Dean, and Roman. So, I was thinking...maybe me being in school with you could be a big help to you. Plus, it could be something in the way of me making more friends, like the guys want me to."

"That actually sounds like a good idea when you put it that way. Plus, we could always be study buddies if we have some of the classes together," Sami mused out loud. A smile coming over his face, Sami said "OK! You talk to Seth and the others about it, and I'll be waiting to here the news from you."

"OK!" Bayley chirped. As she went back to finishing her ice cream with Sami doing the same, Bayley was honestly wondering just how her talk with the older Gems would go. She knew that Seth would be onboard with the idea because it would mean that she'd be getting an education of a sort, and Dean would be okay with it because it would mean that she'd be able to make some new friends. The only person that might have something in the way of an objection to this would be Roman, but...hopefully, Bayley would be able to convince Roman to let her start going to school. It was just going to take some _very strong_ convincing on her end.

 _That evening_

" _Pleeeeease_ can I go to school _,_ Roman _?_ " Bayley insisted as she looked up to the dark-haired Gem, her best puppy dog pout on her face to try to soften Roman up. She had just got done telling the older Gems about her plan to start going to school so that she could be there for Sami. She had already laid out the positives that Seth and Dean would respectively want her to get out of the possible experience, which were getting an education and making some new friends. Now all she had to do was get Roman on her side with letting her attend school.

"Hmm..." Roman mumbled as he thought through all of what Bayley just said. He knew that sooner or later, the time was going to come that he and the other Gems let Bayley start to attend school. They had done their best to give her something in the way of an education, but their knowledge of humans, their ways, and the various areas of their history was fairly sparse and different from what was taught to human children. While there were parts of him that didn't quite agree with this idea, Roman knew it would be for the best to let Bayley have this experience. Finally coming to a realized decision, Roman said "OK."

"Hmm. What? What'd you say, Ro?" Bayley asked, a bit confused by Roman's response.

"OK, you can start going to school," Roman said. Seeing the excited look start to come across Bayley's face, Roman said "We've been wanting to send you to school for some time now, but we could never decide on a good time. And...since you're getting older, what better time than now?"

"Thanks, Ro!" Bayley said as she excitedly wrapped her arms around Roman in a hug. "So, when can I start going?"

"Well, we'll have to go to the school and talk to the people there about enrolling you first," Seth eagerly chimed in. "Then, we'll have to take you shopping for school supplies and new school clothes. Then, there'll be the matter of setting a homework schedule and a bedtime for you..."

As Seth eagerly rambled on about just what he and the others were going to have to do for Bayley when she started going to school, Dean asked "So, who's gonna go down to the school and talk with the folks there about enrolling squirt?"

"I'll go tomorrow morning," Roman said with Bayley still hugging his waist. "I can just tell the administrators there that I'm her dad. I'll also make sure to mention that you and Seth are her uncles in the event that she made need someone to pick her up from school early one day."

"That sounds pretty fair," Dean said, nodding his head. Looking over to Seth, who was _still_ rambling on about stuff for Bayley when she started going to school, Dean said "Hey, mom! While you're over there making lists, I'll be making Bayley some dinner."

Snapping out of his list-making near insanity, Seth said "Let me help you, Dean. We wouldn't want something to happen like that night me and Roman trusted you to make soup."

"So, I let the water in the pot for the potatoes completely boil out," Dean said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "I put more in there, didn't I?"

"Yeah. But, not before you almost let the pot get scorched!" Seth said, chastising the sandy blonde Gem.

As the other two Gems argued back and forth, Roman looked down at Bayley and said "Why don't you go take your bath and get dressed for bed, Bayley? I'll be in here helping these two get dinner prepared."

"OK!" Bayley chirped. Giving Roman one last squeeze, Bayley let the older Gem go and ran up the stairs that led to the level where her bed was and got her pajamas and other stuff she'd need to take her bath. She honestly couldn't believe that she would actually get to go to school and be there with Sami. She just hoped that Roman would be able to get her enrolled when he went to the school tomorrow.

 **Aww, how cute! Bayley wants to school! That's gonna make for some possibly adorable times. But, first things first. Roman's gotta go to the school and talk with someone about enrolling Bayley in the school. So, until next time, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	9. A Daze of School Days (Part 2)

**Here's another installment of Bayley's Universe for you guys' reading pleasure. I will admit that this is written under the influence of me having a few cramps and aches, but I still like how this chapter turned out. In this chapter, we're getting two new character introductions, so...let's see who the new people are. Enjoy, my dolls. =)**

The next day, Roman and the other older Gems were up and awake at around 8:30 in the morning so that Roman could get ready for his meeting at the middle school in town with someone to talk about trying to enroll Bayley in the school some time soon. The dark-haired Gem had spent a good amount of time looking through his wardrobe as he tried to find something that would be appropriate to wear. And so far...he was having no real luck.

"Damn. Who knew so much went into making good impressions with humans?" Dean asked as he helped Roman sort through his clothes.

"It's not just humans, Dean. It's pretty much everyone everywhere you go," Seth said, helping Roman out as well. "Of course, you'd probably be more aware of this if you actually gave a rat's ass about what other people thought of you."

"Well, it's a good thing I don't then, Mama Seth," Dean said, sticking his tongue out at the two-toned Gem.

As Dean and Seth went back and forth, Roman continued to look around his closet until he found a short-sleeved grey plaid shirt and a pair of black slacks that he felt would probably work. Turning around to show the other Gems what he found, Roman asked "What about this? You guys think this would work?"

Seeing the shirt and slacks, Dean said "I think it would. Besides, you're just going to a school, Ro. I don't really think you need to get _too_ dolled up."

"Dean's right, Roman. What you have right there will work just fine," Seth said, nodding his approval.

"Okay. Guess I can go on ahead and get ready," Roman said. Stepping out of his closet after Dean and Seth left, Roman went about getting ready for his meeting. All he could hope for after all of this is that he'd be able to enroll Bayley in the school. After getting his clothes on, using some black tape to cover the gems of his hands and wrapping it down onto his wrists, and pulling his hair back into a ponytail, Roman felt ready...or at least, ready as he could be. Leaving out of his room at last, Roman ventured out into the living room to see that Dean was sitting on one of the couches and Seth was sitting at the kitchen island with Bayley, who was sitting in front of a bowl of cereal and who was clearly still a bit sleepy as the younger brunette hadn't changed out of her Care Bears pajamas and she had yet to put on one of her signature headbands or pull her hair into her signature side ponytail. Letting out a soft chuckle, Roman said "Well, isn't _someone_ up a bit early today."

Looking over to Roman, Bayley smiled and said "Mornin', Ro."

"Bayley was asleep, but I'm guessing me and Dean talking might've woken her up," Seth said, an apologetic tone coloring his voice.

"It's okay, Seth," Bayley said around a yawn as she looked over to the two-toned Gem. "I was probably gonna wake up soon anyway. I'm really excited about Ro goin' to the school for me today, and I couldn' get much sleep last night, anyway."

Hearing the excited yet sleepy tone in Bayley's voice, Roman smiled before saying "Well, I guess I shouldn't keep you waiting any longer, should I, baby girl?"

"Guess not," Bayley said as she let out a little giggle at Roman's nickname for her. Watching as Roman headed for the door, Bayley called out "Ro, wait!"

"Hmm? What is it?" Roman asked, curious about what Bayley could probably want.

Sliding off of the stool she was sitting on, Bayley dashed over to Roman and gave him a hug. Pulling away from the older Gem, Bayley looked up at Roman and said "Good luck, Ro."

Looking down at Bayley, Roman smiled and, ruffling Bayley's bedhead, said "Thanks, Bayley." Nodding down at Bayley and then at Seth and Dean, who respectively gave him a nod and a thumbs-up, Roman headed out of the house and down the path that led into town. After he reached the foot of the hill, Roman walked into the city on his trek to the middle school. He was still trying to think over just how his talk would go with the people at the school, because...well, to be perfectly honest, the art of conversation was _not_ one of his strong suits. But, he was going to try today.

 _'I'm doing this for Bayley. I had better not mess this up,'_ Roman thought as he got closer to the school. A few minutes of walking later and Roman found himself standing at the gates outside of Emerald Pines High School. Taking a breath in and letting it out, Roman proceeded to head inside the school building. Pushing open one of the double doors, the dark-haired Gem was greeted with the sight of an empty entryway that led into three different hallways, each seeming to lead to a different connecting hallway. Feeling a bit confused at first about which direction to go, Roman then decided to take the hallway heading to the right when he happened to see a sign on the wall that had "Office" along with an arrow pointing down the right hand hallway. Making his way down the hallway, Roman soon found himself standing outside of a door that had "Office" on a sign under the window on the door. Grabbing hold of the door handle, the Gem gave the metallic fixture a turn as he eased the wooden door open and was greeted with the sight of a room that he guessed was where one would have to wait before meeting the head of the school as he saw a desk covered with a computer, papers, and different writing tools in the middle of the room that had someone seated behind it, chairs along the walls, a bookshelf that was full of books of some sort, and doors along the far side of the room that had different words on them, "Security Guard", "Vice Principal", and "Principal" being three that caught his eye. _'The Vice Principal and the Security Guard must be people that all have some kind of power at the school with the Principal being the one with the most power,'_ the dark-haired Gem thought. Making his way up to the desk, Roman then stopped as he waited for the person behind the table to finish what they were currently doing at the moment before he tried to get their attention.

The person behind the desk, a woman with wavy red hair that went down her back and who was dressed in a green floral print top and a pair of navy blue capri pants, was busy putting some files in folders when she happened to notice that there was someone standing on the other side of her desk. Jumping in surprise a bit, the woman cleared her throat a bit before saying "Sorry for making you stand there and wait! Welcome to Emerald Pines Middle School. My name is Maria Kanellis and I'm the receptionist here. Is there anything I can help you with this morning, sir?"

"Good morning, Maria. My name is Roman Reigns, and I'm here to speak with the principal this morning about enrolling my daughter Bayley into the school. I had emailed someone about this yesterday, and I got a reply back saying that I could come talk with the principal today," Roman explained.

"Oh, yes. Mr. Reigns. Principal Stephanie's been expecting you today," Maria said as she rose from her seat. "If you'll just follow me, I'll take you to her office."

"OK," Roman said as he fell into step with Maria. The two had only had a fairly short walk to take as they went to the door that had "Principal" on the sign on the door. Watching as Maria knocked on the door, Roman heard a voice on the other side ask "Yes?"

"Ms. McMahon? I'm here with Mr. Roman Reigns that's here to talk with you about enrolling his daughter," Maria said.

"OK. Send him in," came Ms. McMahon's reply.

Turning to look up at Roman, Maria said "Good luck in there."

"Thanks," Roman said, sending a thankful smile in Maria's direction. Grabbing hold of the doorknob of Ms. McMahon's door, Roman gave the fixture a turn and pushed the door open. Walking inside Ms. McMahon's office, Roman looked around to see that the Principal's office seemed to be a more cozy version of the front area where he was with Maria. Turning his attention to the woman sitting behind the desk, Roman saw that this woman seemed a bit more firm than Maria was as she had wavy brunette hair that went a bit past her shoulders and was wearing a red dress. Clearing his throat, Roman said "Good morning, Ms. McMahon. My name is Roman Reigns. I emailed you about enrolling my daughter Bayley in your school."

"Please. Call me Stephanie. And, yes, I read that in your email. Your daughter sounds very eager to start attending school here. Although, I was a bit surprised to read that you and her uncles have been homeschooling Bayley ever since she was a child. How are her uncles feeling about letting Bayley attend school?" Stephanie asked.

"They're pretty open to it. I think it's because they want Bayley to learn things we can't quite teach her and they want her to make friends," Roman said.

"And, how are you feeling about this? After all, I'd imagine that a father letting his only daughter attend school for the first time in her life is a fairly scary thing to even think about," Stephanie said.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Stephanie. It's actually scaring the hell out of me to let Bayley attend school," Roman admitted, his more paternal and guardian side coming out. "My brothers and I raised Bayley ever since she was a baby after her mother passed, and watching her grow up...it's been one of the most rewarding things I've ever been a part of. She's so sweet and caring and funny and smart that you can't help but love her when you get to know her. But, she can be pretty sensitive too, so letting her come here is making me worried for her because...I just don't want her to get hurt, you know?"

Hearing Roman say all of this was fairly touching to Stephanie as, while she couldn't _directly_ relate to how Roman was feeling, she could somewhat feel how Roman felt as she could think about her own parents and how they felt when she decided to leave home and go to college. Just seeing and hearing them say that they were so proud of her always seemed to help motivate Stephanie on in her job so that she could be the best principal she could be. Leaning forward in her seat, Stephanie said "I completely understand how you're feeling, and don't worry. I'll do what I can to make sure that Bayley enjoys her time at our school."

"Thank you, Stephanie," Roman said, smiling his thanks at what Stephanie said. While there was still a part of him that wasn't _too_ trusting of letting Bayley come to school, Roman felt he could at least put his trust in Maria and Stephanie to keep an eye out for Bayley when she would be in school.

"You're very welcome, Roman," Stephanie said, smiling to Roman. "Now, let's attend to the paperwork, and, once that's all taken care of, we can work on getting Bayley entered into the school's system. Then once the forms go through, I'll make sure to let you know when Bayley can start coming to school."

"That sounds fine with me," Roman said as Stephanie went about getting out the forms that he'd have to read over and sign. He actually couldn't believe that things had gone so well here. Now, all he had to do was get the forms from Stephanie, read them over, sign them, and then he'd be able to enroll Bayley in school. All he could do after all of this was just hope that the forms wouldn't take too long for Stephanie to process through and put into the school's system. The sooner Bayley could start going to school, the better for the ponytailed preteen.

 **Keep this in mind, the last sentence isn't meant in any way, shape, or form to be Roman thinking that he needs to hurry up and kick Bayley out of the house and into school. It's more meant to be read in a way that Roman's ready for Bayley to start going to school as soon as possible. ...Anyway! Looks like the two new characters introduced were Maria Kanellis (she's in TNA now, for people that may be curious about who she is), who is the school's office receptionist, and Stephanie McMahon, who is the school's principal (McMahon's must have ze powah!). *Ahem* So, looks like Roman's talk at the school went pretty well...despite the fact that he got a bit lost when he first walked into the building. Good thing there were signs that pointed him in the right direction of the principal's office. Roman's talk with Maria went well, and his talk with Stephanie went even smoother (if not a bit emotional on Roman's side when it came to him telling Stephanie a bit about Bayley). Now, all that's left after the paperwork clears (which is the biggest thorn in _anyone's_ side when it comes to school) is for Bayley to start school. Bayley starting school is set to come next chapter (because, I'm pretty sure you guys don't want to read a chapter of filler that'd basically be Bayley waiting to go to school, so there'll be a recap of when the paperwork clears through for her), so, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =) (One last note. Kiddie Bayley when she's just getting out of bed = Adorable ~ !)**

 **(And, just a bit of curiosity from me here, who would you guys like to see in school with Bayley and Sami? Any suggestions you guys may have for the two to make friends with (or otherwise (*coughs*getteasedby*coughs*)) or who you guys would like to see as some of the teachers, let me know in your review or a PM. I don't really have much in the way of other characters set, so I'd really like something in the way of a few suggestions here.)**


	10. A Daze of School Days (Part 3)

**Now, here we are, my dolls. It's the start of kiddie Bayley's first ever day at school! How will it start out? Read on to find out, my loves. =)**

 **(Now, just to keep something in mind. I'm going by the school system that we have here in the US. Just to clear up any confusion for some of you guys reading this.)**

Bayley was so excited. It hadn't taken as long as she, Sami, and the older Gems had thought, but she was finally going to get to start to school. She had awoken Thursday of that week at around 6 in the morning so that she could get ready for her first ever day of school. Grabbing the outfit she had set out the night before, Bayley descended the stairs from the level where her "bedroom" was and went to the bathroom where she proceeded to take a shower. Once she was done with that, the preteen pulled on her outfit, which consisted of a pink, white, and black plaid skirt and a pink and black striped polo shirt. Brushing down her hair, Bayley then put on her headband, a pink band that had a bow of rainbow-colored fabric that had a red heart charm in the center of the bow and pulled her hair into her signature side ponytail. Adjusting her headband, Bayley felt pretty comfortable with what she was wearing. _'I hope the guys like how I look in my new clothes,'_ Bayley thought, smiling at her reflection. Pushing open the bathroom door as she grabbed her pajamas from off of the counter of the sink, Bayley found herself greeted with the sight of Seth in the kitchen, taking two waffles out of the toaster oven and putting them on a plate that already had scrambled eggs, bacon, and some strawberries on it. Piping up from where she was standing, Bayley said "Morning, Seth. Breakfast smells pretty good."

Turning his gaze from the cabinet he was currently looking through, Seth saw Bayley in one of the new sets of clothes that he had helped pick out for Bayley. "Thanks, Bayley. You look nice in your new clothes. Who would've guessed that Dean had such a good eye for picking out clothes?"

"Hey!" came Dean's voice from the couch in front of the living room TV. "I may not give a damn about how I look, but that doesn't mean that that applies to Bayley."

"I can see that now. Guess it helps that you've watched a lot of those teen shows with Bayley," Seth said.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess it does," Dean said, sitting up on the couch.

Having put her pajamas on her bed while Seth and Dean were talking, Bayley went and took a seat at the kitchen island and proceeded to eat the breakfast that Seth made for her, remarking in between bites that what Seth made was pretty tasty despite the fact that the two-toned Gem normally doesn't have the biggest appetite. While Bayley was finishing her breakfast, Roman had come from his room and joined the group with Sami actually coming to the house so that he could walk to school with Bayley. Once Bayley was finished and she had pulled on her high-top pink Converses and her backpack that was basically a patchwork of robots, the ponytailed preteen turned to the older Gems and said "OK. I'll see you guys after school."

Seeing Bayley turning to leave with Sami, Seth said "Bayley, wait!" After Bayley turned around, Seth said "You can't go just yet. We haven't had a chance to take pictures of you on your first day of school."

"Hmm," Bayley pondered this. "I guess I have time for a few pictures, don't I, Sami?"

"Sure. Classes don't normally start until around 7:30, so we have plenty of time," Sami said.

"OK!" Bayley chirped. From there an impromptu photo shoot took place where Seth took a few pictures of Bayley; some of the brunette by herself, a few with Sami, one of her with each of the Gems-for Seth to take his picture, he handed the camera off to Dean-and, the last picture was a group picture of Bayley with the older Gems and Sami-this picture being taken by setting the camera up on a tripod and timing it to take the picture on its own. After Bayley's "photo shoot" was done, Bayley hugged each of the Gems goodbye and took off after Sami. Falling into step with Sami as the two made their way down the hill, Bayley asked "So, what's the school like, Sami?"

"It's pretty okay," Sami said. "The teachers that I have are all pretty good, and my classmates are okay."

"That's good," Bayley said, nodding her head. "I just hope I'll like this."

"I'm sure you will," Sami said, reassuringly. "After all, you seem like the type that'll adjust to school prettty well."

"That's what Seth and the others have been telling me over the past few days but...I don't know," Bayley said, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not exactly one that makes friends easy, so I don't know."

"Don't worry, Bayley," Sami said. "Just know that I'll be there with you...somewhere. If anything, we can always meet up with each other during lunchtime."

"That sounds good to me," Bayley said, smiling. Reaching the school, Bayley stopped outside the gate with Sami as she looked at the large building that was filling up with other students. Swallowing around the nervous lump that started to form in the back of her throat, Bayley thought _'Well. Here goes nothing. Time to take the leap into starting school.'_ Crossing the schoolgrounds with Sami at her side, Bayley then stepped into the school building, which felt like a huge jolt to the ponytailed preteen. Everywhere she looked, Bayley saw other students and adults either moving through the halls, standing at what appeared to be large metal cases, or standing around and talking to others. All of this seemed like a lot for Bayley to process at once, and part of her just wanted to turn and leave; these thoughts seemed to ebb away, however, when she felt a hand take hold of hers. Looking over, she saw that Sami had taken hold of her hand. Feeling her cheeks start to heat a bit, Bayley looked down at her shoes and said "Thanks, Sami."

"No problem," Sami said, a warmth starting to take over his own cheeks. Letting Bayley follow beside him, Sami helped lead the ponytailed brunette to the main office. Once the two preteens got to the office, Sami opened the door. "Now, Bayley. This is where we go when we need to talk to people other than our teachers."

"OK," Bayley said, nodding. Stepping into the room, Bayley looked around to see that there were big tables, bookshelves, and a few adults moving around the room.

Seeing Bayley looking around in wonder, Sami said "Yeah, it's a lot to take in. I'll have to bring you back here later today. But, for now, let's get your schedule from Ms. Kanellis."

"Schedule? What's that?" Bayley asked.

"It's a paper that has all of your classes for the day listed. We have four core classes and two elective classes. I know it sounds like a lot, but it actually doesn't feel like much," Sami said. "Hopefully, we'll have a couple of them together."

"I hope so, too," Bayley said, a hint of nervousness coloring her voice.

Looking up upon hearing two voices in front of her desk, the woman behind the desk looked to the two preteens standing in front of her. "Sami! It's great to see you this morning. How's your morning been today?"

"It's been pretty okay, Ms. K.," Sami said, smiling at the redheaded woman. Pointing to his side, Sami said "This is my friend, Bayley Martinez. Today's her first day of school, so I was showing her around a bit before class started."

"Ah, yes, Bayley!" Ms. Kanellis said. Leaning forward a bit in her seat, Ms. Kanellis said "Welcome to Emerald Pines Middle, Bayley. I'm Ms. Kanellis, and I'm one of the people that works in the office here. If you ever need help with anything, just come here. I'm...mostly always here if you ever need an open ear to talk to" as she rummaged around for something.

"Thanks, Ms. Kanellis. I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Bayley said, smiling at the redhead.

Finding what she seemed to be rifling around for, Ms. Kanellis produced a piece of paper and handed it to Bayley. "OK, Bayley. This is your school schedule. You're to report to each of your classes at the times listed beside each class. Now, since today is your first day, we're going to have one of the other students here help you around the school. Just until you can find your way around yourself."

"O...OK," Bayley said, a nervous twinge starting to color her voice. She honestly wasn't expecting to get thrown to another student so soon, so to be told that another student was going to show her around made nerves settle in the preteen like lead weights.

Looking over to see that Bayley seemed a bit nervous, Sami said "It's OK, Bayley. I'm sure whoever Ms. K's going to get to come help you around is pretty cool."

"I hope so too," Bayley said as Ms. Kanellis had gone about calling someone. The ponytailed preteen was waiting only a few minutes longer before a voice with a quite heavy accent could heard coming through the doorway. _"I'm here, Ms. K! Sorry I was a bit late!"_ the voice said. Turning in the direction of the voice, Bayley saw that the new person that entered the office was a girl with an impressive mane of fiery-looking reddish orange hair who was dressed in a grey shirt that was covered with a design of gears, a pair of black shorts, and a pair of black boots; something Bayley also noticed about this girl was that she had a pair of goggles pushed up on her head.

"Becky, good morning! And, no, you're not late. The way I see things, you're right on time," Ms. Kanellis said, smiling at the new entrant. Turning her attention to Bayley, Ms. Kanellis said "Becky, this is Bayley Martinez. Today's her first day here at the school. Bayley, this is Becky Lynch. She's going to be your guide for the next few days."

Taking the initiative to make the acquaintance of her charge, Becky stuck her hand and, smiling, said "Pleasure to meet ya, Bayley! Welcome to our lovely school!"

Looking at Becky's hand before taking hold of it, Bayley gave it a shake and said "Thanks, Becky. Nice to meet you too." Pointing beside her, Bayley said "This is my friend, Sami Zayn. He's already been going to school here."

Releasing Bayley's hand, Becky did the same with Sami as she said "Pleasure to meet ya, Sami! How've I never seen you around here before?"

"I...normally keep to myself. I'm not the most socially active person, so I just tend to hang around places on my own," Sami said as he shook Becky's hand.

"Well, that'll have to change startin' today, mah loves," Becky said. "I've got some awesome friends I'm sure you guys would love to meet."

"That sounds pretty great, Becky," Bayley said, smiling. "Don't you think so, Sami?"

"I'd say it does," Sami said, smiling a bit.

"Great!" Becky said just as the bell could be heard ringing. "Oh, there's the bell. Come on, guys. Learning awaits!"

"OK," Bayley said as Sami threw a quick "We'll see you later, Ms. Kanellis" over his shoulder. The trio left the office as they walked off in the direction of their classes with Becky pointing rooms to Bayley, such as the nurse's office, the guidance counselors' offices, and a few other rooms.

"So, Bayley. What's yer first class of the day?" Becky asked.

Taking a look down at the schedule in her hands, Bayley said "Hmm. Says here that I have...Math 1 with...T. Stratus."

"Awesome! I've got Ms. S first period myself," Becky said. "Let's go."

"OK," Bayley said as Becky took hold of her hand. Casting a look over to Sami, Bayley said "I'll see you later then, Sami?"

"Sure, Bayley," Sami said, laughing a bit at Bayley's surprise. "I should be getting to my class too. I'll see you two later." Turning on his heel, Sami sped off in the direction of where his first class was.

Watching as Sami disappeared into the crowds of students, Bayley fell into step with Becky as the two preteens made their first class. _'So far, so good,'_ Bayley thought. _'It sure seems like I've made a friend in Becky. And Ms. Kanellis was pretty nice too. I can't wait to see what else lies ahead in my day.'_

 **Well, it looks like Bayley's first day of school is off to something in the way of a good start. She's got the possibility to look forward to having classes with Sami, she got off on a good foot with talking with one of the school personnel members, and it seems like she might actually be able to make a friend in her guide, Becky Lynch (Steampunk Queen. I just couldn't leave her out.), with the possibility of more friends to come later. Next chapter will be how Bayley's first day goes, meaning...Teachers! Other students! Classes! And other such first-day-of-schooly things! So, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(Now, for a bit of shameless fangirling from shiki. Ohmygosh, how awesome is it that the next big Steven Universe event, In Too Deep, starts this Thursday?! Oh my GOD, I'm so hype for it! XD)**


	11. A Daze of School Days (Part 4)

**So, after getting her schedule and meeting Becky, looks like Bayley's first ever day of school is off to a pretty okay start. How will it go from there? Read on to find out, my loves. And, enjoy. =)**

 **(And, I apologize in advance for the length of this chapter. I wanted to go on ahead and get Bayley's first day out of the way so that I could move on to the next (and possibly, last) part of this arc.)**

Walking along with Becky, Bayley looked around at the many doors and hallways that were in the school. She had a feeling that school was going to be pretty big judging from what she had seen in a lot of the TV shows she had watched, but, to actually be _in_ a school...it was like something else entirely. There was still a large part of the brunette that felt incredibly nervous to even be there, but...she couldn't let herself be too nervous. After all, she was going to end up going to school sooner or later, so...no need to be feeling _too_ nervous now. She hadn't even realized that Becky had stopped outside of a room until she had bumped into the fiery-headed preteen. "Oops! Sorry, Becky. My bad!" Bayley said.

"It's alright, Bayley. I...mostly hardly felt it," Becky said with a laugh.

"Are you sure? I feel kinda bad that I was spacing and I bumped into you," Bayley said, apologetically. And she meant it, too. She didn't mean to bump into Becky, but she was also hoping that the Gem in her belly button didn't hurt Becky.

"Yes, I'm sure, love. Don't worry about it. It was just an accidental bump because maybe you're feeling nervous. No need to keep apologizing," Becky said, reassuringly.

"If you say so," Bayley said. Looking at the doorway they had stopped outside of, Bayley said "So, I guess this is Ms. Stratus's room."

"Mmhmm! You'd be right in guessing that," Becky chirped with a nod of her head. "We report here for class with her in the morning. Just come on inside with me, and I'll introduce you to Ms. S."

"O-Okay," Bayley said, nervously, even though she was smiling. Taking a breath, she proceeded to followed the Irish preteen into the classroom. As she stepped into the classroom, she could hear the talking of other preteens sitting at desks with some of them actually beginning to point out _"There's a new kid in class."_ Seeing Becky stop at a bigger desk in the room, Bayley stood with Becky as the other preteen got the attention of who Bayley guessed was the teacher sitting at the desk, a woman with long blonde hair, who was wearing a white blouse, dark blue pants, and a pair of black wedge sandals.

"Morning, Ms. Stratus," Becky said, getting the attention of the woman behind the desk.

Looking up from the papers she had just finished grading, Ms. Stratus said "Good morning, Becky. Here a bit late this morning, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I know. But, at least I'm in here before the bell," Becky said, laughing a bit. Gesturing to her left, Becky said "I'm actually a bit late because I was helping out this cutie right here. Ms. Stratus, this is Bayley Martinez. Bayley, this is Ms. Stratus, our Math 2 teacher."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bayley. Ms. McMahon told that this is actually your first day of school here," Ms. Stratus said.

"Yeah, it is," Bayley said, nodding her head. "I've...actually been homeschooled most of my life, so my dad and my uncles thought it would be a good idea if I started coming to school for real."

"Well, you picked a great school to come to for your first," Ms. Stratus said, smiling, just as the bell rang. Rising from her seat, Ms. Stratus said "OK, everyone, take your seats. I have an introduction to make."

"Two of the desks around me are empty, so hopefully, you'll get one of those," Becky whispered as she dashed away from Bayley and Ms. Stratus and went to take her seat.

Once the noise in the classroom dulled down, Ms. Stratus said "Everyone, this is Bayley Martinez. This is her first day of school, so be sure to make her feel welcome. Now, Bayley, I'd like for you to take a seat in the empty desk beside Becky. And, welcome to Emerald Pines Middle."

"Thanks, Ms. Stratus," Bayley smiled and nodded before going to take her seat beside Becky, which was midway of the room; as Bayley walked to her desk, she couldn't help but hear the whispering of other students around her, most of it being stuff along the lines of _"New kid looks like a total dork. No wonder she's hanging with Goggles."_ and _"I wonder if she can even read or write."_ All of this sounded pretty hurtful to the ponytailed preteen, but she did her best not to show it. Instead, she took her seat beside Becky, who smiled over at her, as Ms. Stratus launched into her lesson. Listening on as Ms. Stratus carried on her lesson, Bayley actually found that the material didn't seem _that hard_ to understand; in fact, she'd go so far as to say it sounded pretty easy. Before the preteen even knew it, the bell was ringing signalling the end of their first class. After copying the homework assignment and getting her textbook, Bayley left out with Becky as the rest of the class filed out as well.

"So, how'd you like Ms. S?" Becky asked.

"I like her a lot," Bayley said. "She's pretty nice, and I like that she explained the work so that it'd be easy to understand."

"Yeah. That's one of the cool things about some of the teachers out here. They really take the time to explain stuff to us," Becky agreed, nodding her head. "So, where's your next class?'

"Um, hold on a sec," Bayley said, before proceeding to dig around in one of her skirt pockets. Pulling out her folded-up schedule, Bayley said "Um, my next class is...Science 2 with M. Quackenbush."

"I've heard Mr. Q is a pretty fun teacher. I don't have Science 2 next myself, but, I wish I had him," Becky said.

"Wait. We don't have Science 2 together?" Bayley asked, nervously.

"Sadly, no, love," Becky said. Seeing the anxious look on Bayley's face, Becky said "Don't worry, Bayley. Like I said, Mr. Q's a fun teacher, and I've heard that his class is pretty chill. Just don't worry."

"O...OK," Bayley said, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice. Walking along with Becky, Bayley tried to stop the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. _'It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay. I can do this. I'm 12 years old. I can go to new classes by myself,'_ Bayley mentally repeated to herself. The two preteens had been walking on for a few minutes before they stopped outside of a classroom that seemed pretty lively inside, even livelier than Ms. Stratus's room was. Just seeing and hearing all of the conversation had Bayley curious as to just what was going on inside.

Seeing the curious look on Bayley's face, Becky laughed a bit before saying "If you're so curious, why don't you go on inside?"

"I...I think I will," Bayley said with a grin. "I'll see you after class, Becky."

"Alright! I'll be back to show you to your first elective. I gotta jet to my English 2 class. See you after class!" Becky chirped before dashing away.

Watching Becky get swallowed up by the crowds of other students, Bayley turned her gaze back to the classroom, and, taking a breath, stepped inside.

Upon seeing a new student come into his room, the teacher Mike Quackenbush, a man had short, slightly spiky dark brown hair, was wearing a pair of glasses, and was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a blue, grey, and green short-sleeved shirt, turned from the student he was talking with and said "Oh, hello, there! You must be the new student that's joining my class today."

Blinking as she heard the teacher talking to her, Bayley said "Yes! M-my name is Bayley Martinez, and today's my first day of school."

"Let me guess. Homeschooled?" Mr. Quackenbush asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Bayley asked, surprised to hear her new teacher guess this.

"Lucky guess. That, and I can see that you seem pretty nervous," Mr. Quackenbush said. A bit of a warm smile coming across his face, Mr. Quackenbush said "Don't worry. This class is a safe zone. You don't have to worry about anything in here."

"O...OK," Bayley said, nodding. Upon hearing the bell ring, Bayley stepped further into the classroom as she went to stand by Mr. Quackenbush. Standing beside the teacher, Bayley listened on as Mr. Quackenbush made the same introduction that Ms. Stratus did, and, once it was done, Bayley went to an empty seat near the back of the room where she settled in to listen to Mr. Quackenbush's lecture, one that seemed fairly animated and educational all at the same time. Again, before Bayley knew it, the bell was ringing and, after getting the homework and her textbook for the class, she left out with the other students as she went to meet up with Becky. Recounting all of what happened in class, Bayley walked on with Becky to her the first of her elective classes, which was Art 1 with Mr. Jeff Hardy. From that class, one that Bayley all but fell completely in love with, Bayley went to her second elective, which was Physical Education with Ms. Molly Holly. By the time the bell rang after Physical Education, Bayley felt more than eager to get to lunch so that she could meet up with Becky and Sami and let them know how her classes had gone so far. Meeting up with Becky outside of the gymnasium, Bayley had begun to recount her other three classes to the Irish preteen.

"Pretty cool that you got Mr. Hardy for Art. I've heard he's a cool teacher like Mr. Quackenbush is. And Ms. Holly's really nice too. She'll definitely help you out in a pinch if you need the help," Becky said. Smiling over at her new friend, Becky said "I'm glad that you've been enjoying your classes. Now, let's go eat. After my time in Dance 1, I could use something to eat."

The two preteens had spent a fair amount of their time walking and talking about their classes as they reached the cafeteria and were joined by Sami, who was waiting outside for them. Walking inside, Bayley looked around and was surprised to see so many other students in this one room, many of them sitting at tables and eating, with others going through lines and getting food. Following along with Becky and Sami, Bayley got her lunch and paid for it using lunch money Dean gave her before she left; she could even hear the sandy blonde Gem's words in her head when he was giving her the money _"Now, Bayley. There's going to be a time during the day when you get food to eat. When that time comes, use this to get something to eat. Growing kids like you need to eat, so don't hesitate to get anything."_

Once she saw that Bayley and Sami had their lunches, Becky said "OK, you two! Now, if you'll both just follow me, I'll introduce you both to my friends now. Don't worry. My friends are really nice, so you guys'll like them."

"OK," Bayley said with a nod of her head as Sami did the same. Walking along with Becky, Bayley looked around at many of the other tables in the cafeteria and noticed pretty much a running trend with most of them: The tables were mostly all filled with other students eating and talking, with the conversations seeming fairly friendly in nature. The ponytailed preteen had been so wrapped up in her observation that she didn't even notice that Becky had stopped at a table until Sami stopped her by grabbing her shoulder.

Looking over to see that Sami had stopped Bayley, Becky laughed a bit before saying "You keep spacing on me like this, Bayley, and I'm gonna have to start calling you Space Cadet."

"Sorry," Bayley said, blushing a bit.

"Oh, it's okay, love," Becky said, reassuringly. "I kid, I kid. You're new in school, so I think it's normal for you to be a bit spacey. Happens to the best of us."

"Yeah, I...had a feeling that was true. Happens a lot with one of my uncles at times," Bayley said, laughing a bit as she thought back on times when Dean acted like a bit of a scatterbrain.

"He sounds like a pretty cool uncle," Becky said, smiling. Changing the subject, Becky said "Now! Since I've been putting this off, I'd like to introduce you to my friends now. Bayley, Sami, these are my friends Paige Knight and Finn Bálor. Finn, Paige, this is Bayley Martinez and Sami Zayn. They're two of the new kids that have joined our...kinda merry school" as she made the necessary introductions.

Looking ahead, Bayley saw that the table Becky had taken a seat was occupied by a boy and a girl, who she guessed to be about her and Sami's age; the boy had dark brown hair that spiked up a bit and was wearing a red shirt that had Spider-Man on it, a pair of jean shorts, and a pair of red canvas shoes, and the girl, who had quite noticeable pale skin, had black hair that went down past her shoulders with some streaks of it dyed blue, and was wearing a grey t-shirt with cartoonish skeletons as the design, a pair of black jean shorts, and a pair of black and white Vans. _'Well, they seem...nice enough,'_ Bayley thought as she took a seat at the table.

"Nice to meet you both," Paige said. "It's not too often that new kids come here, so, welcome to our school."

"Thanks, Paige," Sami said with a small smile. "I just recently moved here, so I'm still really trying to find my way around here."

"Well, if you ever need any help with anything around here, don't hesitate to ask," Paige said, smiling at the redhead. Looking over to Bayley, Paige asked "How about you, Bayley? How're you liking our school so far?"

"Huh?" Bayley asked, looking up from her tray when she heard Paige talking to her. "Oh! It's been pretty okay so far. This is actually my first ever time coming to school, so I've been liking it so far."

"That's great to hear," Paige said, her smile still on her face.

The rest of Bayley's time in lunch was spent with talking with Becky, Sami, Paige, and Finn and eating most of her lunch. When the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, Bayley and the other four preteens threw their trash away and began to leave so that they could head off for their classes. Seeing as how Bayley's next class was English 2 with Mr. Matt Striker, Finn decided to walk with Bayley since that was his next class. Walking along with Finn, Bayley engaged in a pretty easygoing chat with Finn. Reaching the classroom, Bayley followed the same routine she had followed for her first four classes in the day. After Mr. Striker's lecture, which was mostly a lesson in some of the rules of grammar, the class was dismissed as the class left and Bayley got her textbook and homework assignment from Mr. Striker.

"So, what's yer last class, Bayley?" Finn asked after meeting back up with Bayley outside of the classroom.

"History 2 with W. Regal," Bayley said without looking at her schedule; after having looked at it so many times, the ponytailed brunette had pretty much memorized her list of classes.

"Awesome. I've got that class next with Sami. Pretty lucky, eh?" Finn asked with a bit of a grin.

"Yeah. I guess it is," Bayley said, smiling. As the brunette duo walked on, Finn told Bayley about what kind of teacher Mr. Regal was.

"Now, Bayley. Mr. Regal may seem kind of intense at first, but he's a great teacher. He knows his stuff, and he will help you if you need it," Finn said.

"OK," Bayley said, nodding her head. The two walked on until they got to Mr. Regal's classroom. As with her last class, once the bell rang, Mr. Regal introduced Bayley to the class and, after telling Bayley to take the empty seat that was near Finn and Sami, who both waved at her after she sat down, the teacher launched into his lecture, which was about China during the Ming Dynasty. When the final bell rang and Bayley got what she need from Mr. Regal, she left the classroom with Sami and Finn, where they were then joined by first Paige and then Becky as they were leaving the school.

"So, Bayley, what'd you think of your first ever day of school?" Sami asked.

"I liked it a lot!" Bayley said, smiling widely. "I mean, I felt a bit nervous in my first classes, but I think that nervousness started to go away as I got more in the swing of the others. Plus, it's great that I had friends like you guys to help me around the school. Thanks a lot for that."

"It's no problem at all, Bayley," Becky said, smiling. "After all, that's what friends do for each other."

"Yeah. I guess it is," Bayley said, smiling. It felt really nice to the ponytailed preteen to finally have more friends her age. After meeting and making friends with Sami, Bayley wasn't exactly feeling sure if she'd really be able to make friends with other kids her age; but, being enrolled in school and meeting Becky, Finn, and Paige, along with her teachers and Ms. Kanellis, felt like new pages being turned in her short life. _'I can't wait 'til I can tell Ro, Seth, and Dean about my first day of school. They're gonna be so happy when I tell them about what happened,'_ Bayley excitedly thought as she walked on and talked with Sami, Becky, Finn, and Paige.

 **So, that about wraps up Bayley's first day of school. And, it looks like it was pretty great success. She's got some pretty nice teachers (who shouldn't need much introduction), she seems to like her classes quite a lot, and, thanks to Becky, she, along with Sami, made two new friends in Paige and Finn. Such a great start to her school career! What's to come for the rest of her school week? Stay tuned to find out. Until next time, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(Just a note on one of Bayley's teachers: Her Science 2 teacher, Mr. Mike Quackenbush, is the founder and "Director of Fun" (which I guess is like a General Manager in other promotions) of CHIKARA, a promotion that I've recently started to follow, and is quite a lot of fun to watch. ^^)**

 **(Also, I would like to thank xXLadyRachelXx for the suggestion of having William Regal be one of Bayley's teachers. Even though I didn't really give him a speaking role, I feel that he fits as a History teacher. Thanks for the suggestion, hon! =) )**


	12. A Daze of School Days (Part 5)

**...*nervously laughs* OK. Last chapter when I said that _that_ was going to be the last part of this arc, ...I lied. I'm sorry for lying. ^^, It's just...As I was working on this chapter, I had gotten an idea that I feel would work as at least a little bonus chapter for this arc before I finish it and move on to the next one. So, after _this_ chapter (this chapter here), there's going to be one more, and _then_ , we move on to the next arc of the story. Promise. So, until then, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, my loves. =)**

The rest of Bayley's first ever official week of school had gone pretty well. She was adjusting to her classes pretty well, getting all of her homework done on time, opening up a bit more to her classmates, and she was beginning to really love her classes. Roman, Seth, and Dean were all especially happy to hear about how well things were going for Bayley. Admittedly, the three older Gems were all quite nervous about sending Bayley off to school as they didn't quite know just what public schools held for someone like Bayley. So, for the trio to hear that Bayley was enjoying school so much, it was honestly something that moved the Gems quite a bit. After all, they never would've guessed in the 12-soon to be 13-years that Bayley was alive that she'd ever be adapting to social situations as well as she was with school. There was always a bit of lingering fear that, because of Bayley being half Gem, she wouldn't make friends easily with humans. That fear had been partially snuffed out when Bayley first met and then later became friends with Josh and Emma. And now that she met Sami and Becky and Paige and Finn, and seeing the smile on Bayley's face as she would tell them about her day at school...it was all just great news for the Gems.

"I can't believe how far Bayley's come over this week," Seth said, sitting at the kitchen island with Dean that Friday while Bayley was still at school.

"I know," Dean said, swallowing the mouthful of waffles he was eating. "It's hard to believe that this is the same Bayley that would just watch stuff about schools on TV and get excited about it all. I'll bet she's living the preteen dream right now."

"I'm sure she is," Seth said, a smile crossing his face and a bit of a laugh escaping him.

As Roman listened on as his fellow Gems talked about Bayley, he couldn't help but smile himself. Ever since the woman that was the previous bearer of Bayley's gem gave up her physical form to give life to Bayley, Roman and the others had sworn to protect Bayley and ensure that she would grow up to be a happy and healthy child. And they had been doing just that in their own unique way. Sure, there were always things they worried about, but, for the most part, they were doing just fine raising Bayley. And, that...that was just fine for them.

Looking over to see the smile on Roman's face, Seth said "Well, you're smiling pretty hard, Ro."

Looking over to the two-toned Gem, Roman asked "What? I'm just feeling happy for Bayley. Is that a crime?"

"Nah, not really," Dean said, picking up another bite of waffle with his fork. "It's just weirding us out a bit to see you smiling so much."

"Dean, hush," Seth said, slapping the sandy blonde Gem on his upper arm. Turning to look at Roman, Seth said "I _will_ agree with Dean that's a bit odd to see such a big smile on your face, but...I don't mind it so much. After all, with the week Bayley's had, it's not too weird that we get happy for her."

"Thank you, Seth," Roman said, nodding in Seth's direction.

"No problem," Seth said, letting out a bit of a laugh.

As the Gems sat in wait of Bayley to come home from school, they could only imagine just what kinds of stories Bayley would have to tell them today.

Leaving school that day with Sami and the rest of her friends, Bayley had been so wrapped up in a talk with Sami about how she felt about her first week of school that Becky tapping her on her shoulder almost didn't register in her until she heard Becky calling her. Turning to the goggle-headed preteen, Bayley asked "Hmm. What is it, Becky?"

"Nothing much, Bayley. I was just wondering if, maybe, you want to come to a sleepover me and Paige are gonna have this weekend," Becky said. "It may not seem like much with just the three of us, but me and Paige have a _lot_ of fun together."

" _Please,_ Bayley," Paige pleaded. "It'll be so much fun."

"W-Wow. Um, I'd love to come to you guys' sleepover, but...I'll have to ask my dad and my uncles first," Bayley said. "If you two want, you can come to my house and I can introduce you both to them. Same to you, Finn."

"That sounds okay with me," Becky said, smiling.

"I've got no problem with that," Paige said, smiling herself while Finn shrugged as a way of saying "Sure".

"OK!" Bayley chirped. "My home is a bit of a walk from here, so just follow me." As the preteen quintet walked and talked to Bayley's house, the ponytailed preteen could hardly hold in her excitement. Not only did she have a great first official week of school and made some new friends along the way... _now she was asked by one of her new friends to go to her first ever sleepover!_ She just couldn't wait to ask Roman, Seth, and Dean if she could go.

 **So much happy in this chapter! And it seems like next chapter's going to be just as happy too, with Bayley going to her first ever sleepover. But, first thing's first: She's going to introduce her new friends to Roman, Seth, and Dean. That should make for a fun meeting. So, until that meeting, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	13. A Daze of School Days (Bonus)

**Here's the bonus chapter of the latest arc in Bayley's Universe I promised you all! Sorry if it's a bit late, I was on a bit of a stretch where I was babysitting, and...let's just say it's not easy to try to do much of anything when a soon-to-be 2 year old insists on hanging around you for stretches of time during the day. ^^, But, now that my sentence is over (...for now), I have a new chapter for you guys, and hopefully the start of the next arc coming very soon. I hope you all enjoy this, my dolls. =)**

Heading up the hill to her home with Sami and the others following behind her, Bayley could only hope that introducing all of her new friends to Roman, Dean, and Seth would go well. Sure, she had been telling the other Gems about her new friends she had made at school, but to actually be introducing them to her guardians...she wasn't quite sure how it go. After all, after Sami, these were the first friends she'd ever introduce to the Gems, so it all felt quite nerve-wracking to the ponytailed preteen. Taking a few breaths in and letting them out, Bayley climbed the front steps and walked onto the porch with the others following her. Turning back to look at her friends, Bayley said "OK. Now, before I introduce you guys to my dad and my uncles, I should let you know that they're all...they can be pretty intense."

"Intense? How so?" Becky asked.

"Well... I think it's because of their...jobs," Bayley not quite lied. She wasn't exactly lying as...well, protecting the city from all manner of Gem beasts _was_ a job that put the older three Gems on edge at times; a pretty scary example of this would be when Dean would be so anxious about where a Gem beast they would be tracking could be that he'd summon his whip whenever he'd think it'd be close and he'd accidentally destroy something in the house. "But, don't worry. They'll probably be relaxing when we get inside."

"OK. Well...we'll try not to do anything that'll possibly make them angry," Becky said.

"OK. Thanks, Becky," Bayley said, smiling in thanks to the goggle-headed preteen. Turning back to the door, Bayley grabbed hold of the doorknob and, giving the metallic fixture a turn, stepped inside and said "Dad? Uncle Seth? Uncle Dean? I'm home from school. And, I've brought my friends over so that you all can meet them." Bayley and the others were only waiting for a few minutes before Seth came from one of the back rooms.

Seeing Bayley and Sami, Seth smiled and said "Welcome home, Bayley. And, nice to see you too today, Sami."

Smiling and waving at Seth, Sami said "Nice to see you too today, Mr. Rollins." When Bayley was hanging out with Sami one day after school and the two had finished their homework, Bayley had told the redhead about just what Roman and the others had told her to tell others to say about any of the three men when time would come for her to get picked up from school, be it at the end of the day or if in the event she had gotten sick or hurt at school. It seemed a bit weird to Sami, but he knew why; seeing as how the older Gems weren't of direct relation to Bayley, these white lies and fibs helped serve to let them take Bayley to and pick her up from school and let them talk with her teachers to check on how she was doing in school and in case the ponytailed preteen would ever need help with anything.

Seeing the other three preteens with Bayley, Seth asked "Who are these three, Bayley? Friends, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah," Bayley said, smiling. Turning to her friends, Bayley said "Uncle Seth, this is Becky, Paige, and Finn. Guys, this is my uncle, Seth Rollins" as she respectively made the introductions.

Taking a few seconds to look each of the three preteens over, Seth let himself get familiar with each of the preteens before him. _'So_ , these _are the new friends Bayley's been telling us so much about. They all seem pretty nice,'_ Seth thought. "Well, it's nice to meet you three. Bayley's told me, her other uncle, and her dad quite a lot about you all."

"It was all good stuff, wasn't it?" Becky asked, immediately feeling a bit nervous about hearing one of Bayley's uncles say this.

"Yes, it was," Seth said, immediately sensing the nervousness that seemed to radiate out from the goggle-headed preteen. "You don't have to worry about Bayley saying anything bad, Becky. She's told us all about how you helped her out through her first week at school, and how you introduced her and Sami to your friends. If anything, she's had nothing but good stuff to say about you and Paige and Finn."

"Really?" Becky asked, feeling her cheeks heat a bit in surprise. Seeing Seth nod his head, Becky couldn't really bring herself to say anything. She knew that in the few days that they've gotten to know each other, Bayley had grown to see her as a friend, but...she never would've guessed that Bayley saw her as so close a friend. The goggle-headed preteen was so wrapped up in her own thought bubble that it surprised her when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Looking over, Becky saw that it was Bayley who was hugging her. Before she could say anything, Bayley decided to ask Seth the question that was on her mind.

"Uncle Seth, Becky invited me to a sleepover that she and Paige are gonna have this weekend. Would it be okay with you, my dad, and Uncle Dean if I go?" Bayley asked.

It was definitely a big surprise to hear Bayley ask if she could go to a sleepover at a friend's house, as this would mark the first time Bayley would be away from home and from under the supervision of the older Gems. Managing to collect himself-and to banish away the sudden surge of quite negative "What if's?" that came to mind-Seth said "Well, Bayley. We'd love to let you go. But, only on the condition that you call us and let us know if things don't go well for you at Becky's house."

"I will, Uncle Seth, I will," Bayley said, nodding her head. "Are you sure my dad and Uncle Dean'll be okay with me going?"

"They probably will be. After all, if it's spending time with your friends, I'm sure they'll be okay with it," Seth said. A smile crossing his face, Seth added "Look. Just, go, Bayley. Have fun, be a kid. And, don't forget to be on your best behavior."

"I will. Gee, thanks so much for letting me go, Uncle Seth," Bayley excitedly said, releasing her hold on Becky and going to give Seth a hug, which the two-toned Gem returned. Pulling away, Bayley headed back to Becky and Paige and said "Just give me a few minutes to pack some clothes for the weekend. Then, I'll be ready to go."

"OK, love. Take all the time you need," Paige said, smiling.

As Seth watched on as Bayley went off to pack a weekend bag and then hug him again before leaving with Becky and the others, he couldn't help but feel something...odd come over him. He couldn't quite put his finger on what this feeling was, but it was definitely born out of watching Bayley leave out with her friends and be gone for the weekend. He always had a feeling that the day would come when Bayley would want to venture away from home with friends she made, but he had no idea that the day would come so soon; if anything, he was bracing for when she was an older teenager to really see her off and away from home anywhere. But...he knew that this was something that was for the best for Bayley to really grow as a person. _'After all, if Natalya were here to see Bayley growing up, she'd probably want the same,'_ Seth thought, smiling as a few stray tears slid down his face.

...

The sleepover at Becky's house had gone fairly well and was pretty fun to Bayley. At first, she was a bit nervous to be away from home, but after getting comfortable and adjusted at Becky's house, she started to feel her nerves slowly ebb away. The only real exposure the ponytailed brunette ever really had to sleepovers would be from movies and TV shows she's seen; she would've asked Emma what one was like, but she had a feeling that the older teen was past having sleepovers. So to actually be at and a part of one was pretty fun stuff. Sure, all the three girls did was mostly watch movies and eat junk food, but it was pretty fun because it was stuff Bayley was doing with two of her new friends. Laughing at the movie 'Ice Age: The Meltdown' as it was currently playing, Bayley couldn't help but think _'I can't wait to let Ro, Dean, and Seth know about how things went this weekend. I know they're gonna be just as happy to hear about this as I'm happy to tell them.'_

 **...OK, so I _didn't_ really go into a lot of detail with Bayley's first ever sleepover with Becky and Paige, but I honestly couldn't help but think that including the _whole_ sleepover would've been a bit much for everyone to really take in (plus, I have a kinda bad feeling that that would've ended up making this chapter either a mega monster or something that I could've just used to write a tie-in one-shot to this, but...I digress), so I mostly just decided to touch on Bayley introducing her new friends to Seth, Bayley asking Seth if she could go, how Seth felt about all of this, and just a glimpse of the fun Bayley had with her friends. And, it looks like all around, things went pretty well. =D And now that we've finished the 'A Daze of School Days' arc, we can now journey forth into our next story arc. What is the arc, you might be wondering? Well, you'll have to stay tuned until next time. ;P Until then, don't forget to R&R please. =)**

 **(One last thing.: Up above when Seth mentioned a "Natalya", you guys should keep her in mind. A later chapter/arc (not sure which yet) is going to give a bit more backstory to this woman, so I hope you guys will be looking forward to that. =) )**


	14. Bayley's Birthday (Part 1)

**So, after the last arc that was a lot of school and making friends fun, now we get to move on to the fun of celebrating Bayley's birthday (hence, why I'm calling this the Bayley's Birthday arc)! =D Just what will this arc entail? Well, you'll just have to read on with this first chapter of this new arc. Enjoy, my loves! =)**

"Uh, Dean? Is Seth okay?" Bayley asked, confusion quite apparent on her face as she looked at the two-toned Gem.

Looking over from where he was rummaging through the cabinets for a snack, Dean saw that Seth was slumped down in the recliner in the living room, a quite...depressed look on his face. Dean couldn't help the snicker that escaped as he then said "Seth, suck it up, bro! We all knew this day was coming sooner or later! No need to be so bummed out!"

"Shut up, Dean! Just leave me alone with my sadness!" Seth shouted around a moan as he sunk further down into the plush covering of the recliner.

"Sadness? Why's Seth sad, Dean?" Bayley asked, immediately beginning to feel worried about one of her caregivers.

"I think it's because of what day's coming up in three days," Dean said, going back to his search for a snack. Looking over to see that Bayley still seemed fairly confused, Dean let out another snicker before saying "It's your birthday, Bayley. Thought you would've known that."

"Well, I knew it was my birthday coming soon," Bayley said, sticking her tongue out a bit at Dean. "I just don't know why it seems like Seth's so upset about it." Although as she made mention of her own birthday after Dean, Bayley could just hear Seth moan a bit in what sounded like pain.

Finally having managed to find a snack in a bag of potato chips, Dean opened the bag and said "I think I know why."

"Really?" Bayley asked. Seeing Dean nod his head, Bayley asked "Well...why's he so sad?"

"I think it's because he doesn't want to face the reality of you growing up quite yet," Dean said as he took a chip out of the bag and ate it. "I mean, you growing up is something that we've all been happy to be a part of, but...I think it's a bit hard on Seth because you've always been like his little girl. And, now that you're going to be entering real teenagerdom in three days, it's making him feel a bit bummed out."

"What? Me turning 13 is making Seth feel upset?" Bayley asked, beginning to feel a bit upset...and oddly guilty.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't worry too much about it," Dean said, in between bites of the chips he was eating. "He'll get over it once we can all start making plans for your birthday. There anything in particular you want to do this year? You can invite Sami and the rest of your friends to whatever it is that you want to do."

But, Bayley hardly seemed to hear anything Dean just said. She was still feeling a bit hung up on the fact that it was because of her getting older that Seth, one of the people that she considered family, was feeling so upset. If she could, she would turn back time at least a year or two-or, maybe even three-if it meant that Seth and the others could spend more time with her as a kid before she got older. Feeling her eyes start to sting a bit with a few tears, Bayley ran over to Seth and, throwing her arms around the still-seated two-toned Gem and hugged him as tight as she could, hoping that her hug would help Seth feel a bit better; and she felt that it was working since Seth hugged her back.

Seeing Bayley hug Seth, Dean didn't really make much of it at first because he knew that this was all Bayley's way of trying to help Seth feel not so upset about her turning 13 soon. If the sandy blonde Gem could be completely honest with himself, the prospect of Bayley getting older actually bummed him out quite a bit, too. But, he knew that this was all something completely normal that happened with humans; they aged and got older until eventually... Shaking this thought from his head, Dean said "Um, Bayley? I think your Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Naomi are gonna be here soon" in a bid to lighten up the mood in the house.

Pulling away from Seth, Bayley excitedly asked "Aunt Naomi and Uncle Jimmy are coming?!"

Laughing a bit at Bayley's enthusiasm, Dean said "Well, it _is_ your birthday, kiddo. _Of course_ they're going to come. They love seeing their girl, especially on her big day every year."

Starting to bounce in place a bit, Bayley said "Oh my gosh, I can't wait! I wonder what kind of surprise they have for me this year. Ooh! Maybe Aunt Naomi'll take me out for another girl's day this year. Or, or maybe Uncle Jimmy..."

As Bayley went about rattling off possibilities of just what she was going to do with her aunt and uncle this year for her birthday, Dean walked over to Seth and said "Now, you're _sure_ Roman said we're going to tell Bayley _this_ year."

"That's what he told me," Seth said, finally managing to come out of his depressive slump a bit. "After all, chances are that Bayley'll find out at some point in the future, so...what better time than the present?"

"Good point there," Dean said, giving a slight nod in agreement. "I just wonder when he's planning on letting us tell her. I mean, I know he'll want to let Bayley spend some time with Naomi and Jimmy first, but...when's he gonna let us tell her?"

"Whenever him and those two want to, I guess. But, I guess we'll just have to focus on crossing that bridge when we cross it," Seth said, looking back over to where Bayley was still excitedly rattling off possibilities for what she could do for her thirteenth birthday.

 _A Bit Later That Day_

"Thanks for inviting me and the others to your birthday party," Becky said as she looked around at the different kinds of candy that were on the shelves in the store where Josh and Emma worked.

"You're welcome. And, it's not problem," Bayley said, smiling as she grabbed two chocolate bars. "My uncles and my dad said I could invite you all, so, if anything, you all should thank them."

"We'll be making sure to do that, love," Becky said, smiling herself as she finally decided on a bag of Sour Patch Kids. Walking up to the checkout counter with Bayley, Becky asked "So, what do you normally do at your birthday parties?"

"Nothing much, really. Usually my uncles get me a cake and a few presents, and that's about it," Bayley said, thinking back on her past birthdays. "The only real bummer is that my dad's never really at home."

"Why isn't your dad ever at home for your birthday?" Becky asked, stopping in place.

"Well, it's usually because he has to work, but...it's no big deal. I've gotten used to it, so I don't really pay much mind to it anymore," Bayley said, shrugging a bit. "Besides, my Aunt Naomi and my Uncle Jimmy come to visit every year, and they usually make up for my dad not being at home."

"Well, that's good," Becky said. "Maybe this year, you can introduce me and the others to your aunt and uncle."

"I'll make sure to do that! I think they'll both like meeting you and the others, too," Bayley said, smiling.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you turning this year?" Becky asked.

"13," Bayley said, her smile still in place.

"13? Wow. Guess that makes you the oldest in the group," Becky said around a whistle of surprise.

"Really? _I'm_ the oldest in our group of friends?" Bayley asked, stopping in surprise.

"Well, yeah," Becky said, laughing a bit. "But...don't feel too old, love. Before you started going to school with us, Finn was the oldest, so I guess that'll be a load off his shoulders to not be the oldest anymore."

"Yeah, I...I guess not," Bayley said around a bit of an uneasy laugh. Paying for her chocolate bars after Becky paid for her candy, Bayley and the goggle-headed preteen talked a bit longer before they had to part ways and head back to their homes for the evening. All while Bayley ate dinner, showered, changed into her pajamas, and watched TV up until she went to sleep, she couldn't help but let all of the talk of her getting older bounced around in her head. In Becky's case, she knew the "getting older" talk was all in good fun, but...to see just how her turning 13 really seemed to affect Dean and Seth-and possibly Roman, too-it made her feel a bit bad; mostly because she didn't like seeing the men that had been raising her all her life seem so upset about something like this. _'If only I could do something to make Seth, Dean, and Ro not seem so sad about me getting older. Then, maybe I could see them all happy,'_ Bayley thought to herself as she closed her eyes, totally unaware of the pink light that seemed to begin in her belly button, and completely spread out to envelop her.

 _The Next Morning_

Walking out of his room as he yawned and stretched his arms out, Dean rolled his neck around as he thought _'Better go wake Bayley up for the day. Wouldn't want her to sleep in too late.'_ Walking into the living room area of the house, Dean walked over to the short flight of stairs that led to Bayley's "room" and proceeded to wake the ponytailed brunette up. " _Baaaaayleeeeey_. I know it's a Saturday and all and you normally sleep in on days like this, but you gotta get up. Auntie Naomi and Uncle Jimmy'll be here soon to see you," Dean said, gently nudging the lump in the bed that was hiding under the bedsheets that were covered in cartoon hamsters.

"OK, Dean. I'm up, I'm up," Bayley said. ...Although, to Dean, something in Bayley's voice didn't quite sound right to him. It wasn't until Bayley pushed back her bedsheets that Dean saw just why Bayley didn't sound quite like herself.

His jaw almost dropping at the sight before him, Dean asked "Um, Bayley? Wha... What did you _do_ to yourself?"

 **Yes, Bayley. What _did_ you do to yourself that's got Dean so, should I say, freaked out? I, as the author, know what it is, but you all, my dear readers, will have to wait for my next update. Until then, don't forget to R &R please with possible guesses. =) (** **Also to come in the next chapter is the arrival of Bayley's Aunt Naomi and Uncle Jimmy, so I hope you guys all like their intros into this, and what they'll bring to the story. =) )**


	15. Bayley's Birthday (Part 2)

_It wasn't until Bayley pushed back her bedsheets that Dean saw just why Bayley didn't sound quite like herself._

 _His jaw almost dropping at the sight before him, Dean asked "Um, Bayley? Wha... What did you do to yourself?"_

 **So, just what was that Bayley did that's got Dean so tongue tied? Read on to find out, and enjoy, my loves. =) (Also, I hope you all enjoy the new character intros here. ^^)**

Tilting her head to the side, Bayley asked "Huh? What are you talking about, Dean?"

"You...uh... Let me show you," Dean said, still trying to fathom just what was even going on.

Bayley was still feeling pretty confused by why Dean seemd to be acting so weird. Her confusion was added on to by Dean lifting her up with ease from her bed and carrying her from her "bedroom" to the bathroom. It wasn't until Dean pushed open the door and said "Take a good, long look at yourself, Bayley" that the brunette was able to see why Dean seemed so freaked out. Looking in the mirror over the bathroom sink, Bayley saw herself in Dean's arms, and...needless to say she was surprised by what she was seeing: She was bundled up in her pajamas, and she looked a few years younger than she actually was. Starting to feel a bit afraid herself, Bayley slowly lifted a hand, leaned over, and touched the mirror; when she saw that the smaller and younger Bayley in her reflection was doing the same thing, she quickly pulled her hand away, and, without a moment's hesitation, screamed in a bit of a panic.

Rubbing at his right ear, Dean said "Bayley, _Bayley!_ Calm. Down." Seeing the younger brunette had calmed down a tiny bit, Dean asked "OK. Now. Do you have any idea how or why this might have happened to you?"

"No! I...I didn't even know I could do this," Bayley said, looking down at her hands and at her clothes that didn't even fit her at the moment. "Is this something you and Seth and Ro can do too?"

"So to speak, yeah, we can. It's more shapeshifting what the three of us can do. We'll explain that to you some time soon," Dean explained.

"I don't think you have to do that, Dean," Bayley said. Seeing the slight look of question on the sandy blonde Gem's face, Bayley said "Seth showed me how he shapeshifts a few weeks ago, so I know a bit about that."

"Oh! Well...good for Seth for giving you a Gem lesson," Dean said, grinning as Bayley giggled a bit. Upon realizing the Gem he mentioned, Dean said "Oh, d...crap!"

"What? What is it, Dean?" Bayley asked, curious about why Dean suddenly seemed a bit worried.

"...Seth's going to freak when he sees you like this," Dean said, a slightly terrified look coming over his face.

"Oh, no. I forgot about Seth," Bayley said, worry of her own starting to settle over her. Looking Dean in the eyes, Bayley asked "What are we going to do?"

Before Dean could say anything, knocking at the door could be heard followed by Seth opening the door and saying "Well, it's about time you two showed up." Not saying a word, Dean and Bayley shared a silent look of slight terror before Dean pushed the door closed until just a bit of a crack was left open and the duo listened to Seth talk with their visitors.

 _"We would've been here sooner, but_ someone _just had to stop and stuff his face somewhere,"_ a female voice could be heard saying.

 _"Jimmy, I swear you and Dean are just like each other when it comes to eating,"_ Seth said after a bit of a laugh.

 _"Hey, I'm no worse than_ someone _wanting to stop at almost every store they saw to try to find a little gift for Bayley before we got here,"_ the other male voice, Jimmy, said.

 _"Well, it'd make me a bad aunt if I didn't show up with_ something _for our girl,"_ the woman said.

 _"I thought you said you were going to wait to get Bayley something after you guys got here anyway, Naomi,"_ Seth said. _"And, besides. What took you guys so long?"_

 _"Well, we were finding it a bit hard to...split from home this time,"_ the woman, Naomi, said, after a bit of a pause. _"I guess it's because we've just been nervous about trying to figure out when we'd all tell Bayley about us."_

 _"There's that._ And, _we had a bit of a close encounter of the crawly kind with a millipeedle. But, no worries. We took care of it,"_ Jimmy said.

 _"That's good,"_ Seth said. _"At least, we're getting a bit closer to taking care of_ that _particular infestation we have."_

 _"OK, enough Gem beast talk,"_ Naomi said, changing the subject. _"Where's the birthday girl? Where's Bayley?"_

 _"Well, she's not in bed, which is kinda weird. Usually, she sleeps in on Saturdays,"_ Seth said, confusion a bit apparent in his voice.

 _"That is a bit weird,"_ Jimmy said. _"You think maybe she's in the bathroom?"_

 _"Maybe,"_ Seth said. _"If she is, we can all just wait for her. That way, you two can surprise her together."_

 _"That sounds like a plan to me,"_ Naomi said. _"I can't wait to show her what I brought for her on our way here."_

Pushing the door closed as the three in the living room sat down, Dean said "OK. Houston, we have a problem."

"I think it's safe to say that we do," Bayley said, worry clear on her face. "This is bad, Dean. How are we going to let Seth, Aunt Naomi, and Uncle Jimmy know about...this?"

"Only option I can think of is just walking out of the bathroom to greet them, and let them know that way. Just plunk the news on them, and see how they handle it," Dean said.

"You sure this'll work?" Bayley asked after hearing Dean's idea.

"It'll have to. After all, I'm pretty sure that you don't want to spend your birthday in the bathroom, do you?" Dean asked.

"No. No, I don't," Bayley said. Taking a breath in and letting it out, Bayley said "OK. Let's do this, Dean. Let's go see everybody."

Grinning a bit, Dean said "Attagirl, Bayley" as he ruffled her hair. Taking a breath of his own and letting it out, Dean opened the bathroom door as he readied himself for what was about to happen next. Walking out of the room, Dean said "Hey, guys. Uh, Bayley's awake. Met up with her on the way to the bathroom."

"That's good. I was wondering why I didn't see her in bed," Seth said before turning around and seeing the sandy blonde Gem holding the much younger Bayley. Seeing the brunette, Seth asked "Bayley! W-wha-what did you do to yourself?!"

"We don't exactly know, Seth," Dean cut in before Bayley could say anything. "All I've really been able to figure out from Bayley is that she woke up like this. _She_ doesn't even know how this happened to her."

"He's not lying, Seth," Bayley said, feeling a bit bad. "I didn't even know anything was wrong with me until Dean came and woke me up. And now that I'm like this, I don't know how to turn back to my regular self."

"This is a bit worrying," Seth said, biting one of his fingernails. "And, since you're half human, I don't even know how we'd even go about trying to help you return to normal."

Looking around Seth, Bayley shyly waved and said "Hey, Auntie Naomi. Hey, Uncle Jimmy."

"Hey, there...baby girl," Jimmy, a man with shoulder-length wavy dark brown hair and lightly tanned skin, and was wearing a white tank top and jean shorts, said, offering a bit of an uneasy wave of his hand to the younger brunette.

Unable to hold in the bubble of panic that was rising in her, Bayley blurted "I'm so sorry I did this! I just...I've been feeling kinda bad ever since Dean said that Seth's been feeling upset about me turning 13 soon. And then I was talking with my friend Becky yesterday and she said I'm the oldest in our group of friends, and...and-"

"Bayley. Calm down, boo," the woman beside Jimmy, Naomi, a woman with dark skin and long black hair that was in braids, and was wearing a blue sleeveless blouse and a pair of white capris, calmly said.

Hearing the older woman say this, Bayley took a few breaths in and let them out as she could feel herself calming down. Taking her last breath and letting it out, Bayley said "Sorry, Aunt Naomi."

"It's okay, Bayley. You don't have to be getting so wound up about this," Naomi said.

"But I'm a kid again! I'm like four or five years old! How can I _not_ be worried about this?!" Bayley asked in a panic.

"Because. This is just one of your powers that we all have," Naomi calmly explained. "But, in your case, I'm not all that sure how yours may work."

"Well maybe..." Seth pondered before saying "Since Bayley's half human, do you think that maybe her emotions may have something to do with how her powers work? Something kind of similar happened when Bayley first summoned her shield a few weeks ago."

"That could be it," Naomi agreed. "After all, she did say that she's been feeling bad ever since hearing you say that her turning 13 has made you feel upset, _Seth_. And then there was where she mentioned talking with one of her friends. Maybe this is just her gem's way of trying to help her with her aging."

"But, why is this happening to Bayley now?" Dean asked. "We've never had to deal with this happening to Bayley before, so...why now?"

"Maybe...maybe it's just because, like Naomi so _nicely_ pointed out," Seth began, cutting a slight glare over to the dark skinned woman before continuing "That I'm just reluctant about accepting Bayley growing up. I just...part of me wasn't expecting to get so invested in watching Bayley grow up and get older. And to know that she probably won't need us for anything when she gets older, it just..." At this point, Seth had to stop himself because tears started to stream down his face.

Seeing one of her guardians in tears was something that scared Bayley a bit; this being because she had never seen Seth, Dean, or Roman cry about anything before. So to see Seth actually crying was really hitting Bayley quite hard. "Seth. Seth, don't cry," Bayley said, tears of her own starting to roll down her cheeks. Managing to fidget her way out of Dean's hold, Bayley bounded over to Seth and, leaping up into the two-toned Gem's lap, wrapped her arms around Seth's neck. And, like with yesterday, Bayley felt like this was working because she didn't feel any more of Seth's tears hitting her clothes or her shoulder. Pulling away as she looked up at the two-toned Gem, Bayley said "Don't be sad, Seth. And, Dean, Auntie Naomi, Uncle Jimmy, don't worry. I'll figure out some way to make myself normal again. And I'll figure that way out soon."

 **I think someone should probably tell Bayley that making yourself younger won't exactly help others that are a bit upset about you getting older get used to you getting older (if anything, that'll just make said people get even _more_ worried). But, at least Bayley seems to have firm resolve to make herself normal again. We can only hope that Seth, Dean, (and introduced in this chapter) Naomi, and Jimmy (Uso) will be able to give her some kind of help. So, until then, don't forget to R&R please. =)**

 **(I feel the need to point out that as a bit of a hint, keep in mind something Naomi said up above. It's going to be a very important clue for something that happens in a coming chapter of this arc. =3 )**


	16. Bayley's Birthday (Part 3)

**So, how exactly did Bayley's attempts at trying to return herself to her normal age go? Well, here's her first round of trying. Read on and enjoy, my loves. =) (And, I am SOOOOO sorry for not really updating any of my stuff lately. I've been getting so wrapped up with babysitting that it's _really_ cutting into my fic-writing time. I'd normally try to work on updates at night before sleep, but by the time I can even think of wanting to work on anything, I end up having to make my nightly appointments with my pillow, so...yeah, I haven't had the ideal time I'd want to try to write. But, hopefully, I can get myself to write more often...especially since I've been bouncing around between my in-progress stuff and future fics.)**

 **(Also, as I've pointed out in a previous chapter, keep an eye out on a certain point in the chapter...said point, I will illuminate in my closing note. It's all gonna help tie into what I have planned for a later chapter in this arc. ;3 )**

"Come on, Bayley. Just focus," Seth said for the fifth time that day. "Just imagine yourself as your real age. Try that."

"OK," Bayley said with a nod. Closing her eyes, Bayley tried to do as the two-toned Gem told her to do. But, like the times before now...nothing seemed to happen. Nothing outside of Bayley opening her eyes back up and feeling frustrated that she was still stuck as a four year old. Letting out a frustrated groan, Bayley said "It's no use, guys. I can't do it. Why can't I turn back to my normal age?"

"I... _We're_ not really sure, Bayley," Naomi said, running a hand through her braids. "Like Seth pointed out, since you're half human, we don't quite know how your powers work, so...I don't know what to say here."

"Does this...does this mean I'll never be able to turn back to my real age?" Bayley asked, feeling panicked as she heard Naomi say this.

"No, no, not at all, boo," Naomi said in a bid to calm Bayley down. "What it means is that we just don't know how to help you yet."

""Yet"?" Bayley asked, now starting to feel a bit worried. "So...does that mean that you guys _can_ help me?"

"It's not a matter of "can", baby girl," Jimmy said. "We _will_ help you go back to normal. And you can believe that."

Laughing a bit, Bayley said "Thanks, Uncle Jimmy" before a yawn escaped her.

Letting out a slight chuckle as he grinned, Dean said "Maybe we can try again after you take a nap. I think all of this trying is making _someone_ a little tired."

"But, I'm not" Bayley began before another yawn cut her off. "I'm not sleepy."

"What you're saying doesn't quite agree with what you're doing, sweetheart," Seth said, his grin still in place. Walking over to and scooping up the ponytailed brunette, Seth said "Nap first. Then we can try again later to help you return to normal."

All Bayley could do was nod her head because she was yawning so much. Resting her head on Seth's shoulder, Bayley closed her eyes as she felt Seth go up the stairs to her "bedroom", lay her in her bed, and wrap her in her blankets. Snuggling into her pillow as she let her nap take hold, Bayley let thoughts fly through her mind on just how she could return to normal.

...

Descending the stairs, Seth was caught a bit offguard by the pointed looks from his fellow Gems. Looking around himself, Seth asked "What? What is it?"

Shrugging as he leaned back in the recliner he was sitting in, Dean said "What? No one's said a thing."

"Your eyes are saying more than that big mouth of yours is," Seth said, a trace of a scowl starting to work its way across his face.

"Oh, you're just saying that because my eyes are so gorgeous," Dean said, a somewhat cheeky grin on his face. His grin going away, Dean said "But, yeah. All of this with Bayley...yeah, it's largely all your fault, Seth."

" _My_ fault? What would even make you say that?" Seth asked, feeling irritated at hearing Dean say this.

"Well, what with you making it seem like Bayley turning 13 is an end-of-the-world type thing, why else do you think we're in this situation?" Dean asked. "If anything, it seems like all the blame for us having a pint-sized Bayley is all on _you_."

Hearing all of this coming from Dean was driving Seth _beyond_ the point of angry. While he knew that pretty much the sandy blonde Gem was saying was true, he exactly didn't want to have it all thrown back in his face. So, without really thinking next, Seth summoned his staff, and was set to try to attack Dean when a gauntlet-covered left hand stopped him. Looking down at the still-seated Jimmy, Seth calmly said "Jimmy. Let go. Of my staff."

"Nope. No can do, Seth," Jimmy said, shaking his head.

"Jimmy's right, Seth," Naomi said. "That's a no-go until you calm down."

"Well, tell Dean to stop picking at me!" Seth all but shouted.

"I didn't really see that as him picking on you. He was just pointing out the obvious," Naomi said, turning to look back at Seth. "Seth, from what me and Jimmy have heard since we got here, basically, the main reason why Bayley's turned herself into a kid again is because you don't want to see her get older."

"So what?" Seth said. "So what if I'm not all that happy about Bayley getting older? That doesn't make me a bad person."

"Kinda does when your moping makes Bayley feel so bad she makes herself younger just to try to make things better for you," Dean nonchalantly said. Looking over and seeing Naomi had summoned her gauntlet on her right hand, Dean swallowed a bit before saying "Sorry. Didn't mean to pick at you, but it's true what I said. Look. Bayley's a great kid, Seth. And, she's gonna get older, whether we all like it or not. But, the important thing is that we just enjoy every day we have with her."

Hearing Dean say this actually made Seth let his staff go away as Jimmy and Naomi willed their gauntlets away. It surprised Seth quite a bit to hear such comforting words come from Dean, and, honestly...he didn't mind hearing this words as he started to feel a bit better than he was. Feeling the backs of his eyes start to burn with more tears, Seth closed his eyes as he walked to the bottom of Bayley's staircase and took a seat on one of the bottom steps. Rubbing his eyes to keep his tears back, Seth said "Thanks for the words of comfort, Dean. I guess I needed to hear something like that."

"No problem, bro," Dean said, letting a soft smile cross his face. "Anything I can do to help someone out."

"And from all of what just happened, sure looks like you needed to hear all of that," Jimmy said.

"I did. I...really think I did," Seth said, nodding. "At least after hearing Dean really talk about Bayley getting older helped me somewhat come to grips with it all. I guess...no matter how much I don't like it, Bayley's getting older, and I...I just have to accept it."

"Seth, don't worry. And, don't feel too upset about all of this," Naomi said, looking back at Seth. "All of us are pretty much feeling the same about Bayley getting older. But, we all just know that it's totally normal that Bayley grow and age since she's half human. We just don't make a big deal out of it so that way Bayley doesn't feel bad about it. Which is something that you need to man up about and accept."

"And, I will, Naomi. I will. I just need to do it my own way. OK?" Seth asked.

"OK, Seth. But, just know this: If you need any kind of emotional support in that area, you've got me and the others here to help back you up," Naomi said, sending a warm smile Seth's way.

Nodding at the dark-skinned woman, Seth stayed seated on the steps and let all of what just happened go through his thoughts as Dean and the others went back to watching TV. The two-toned Gem just knew that everything the others told him was true. He knew that it was all because of him not wanting to accept Bayley getting older that they were in the predicament they were in now. So, after taking some time to really be with his thoughts, Seth then came to a decision on just what he was going to do. All he had to do now was wait along with his fellow Gems for Bayley to wake up from her nap.

 **So, it looks like there wasn't as much progress as the Gems would've liked as far as helping Bayley out goes. Sure, Bayley's trying, but still...nada. Maybe after our favorite ponytailed half Gem gets a nap progress will be made. Now, on the other hand, at least Seth had his fellow Gems there to help talk him through some stuff that's severely been picking at his thoughts (but, honestly, I think Seth's just acting like a concerned dad with Bayley getting older as he's had such a big hand in raising the little cinnamon roll ever since she was a baby that her aging just worries him)...but, not before there was nearly a fight in the house (which wouldn't have been good with a sleeping young one up the stairs from them). Next chapter, we'll get to see the Gems try again to help Bayley return to her normal age. So, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(Now, for the point I mentioned above. Keep note of just how Jimmy and Naomi summoned their weapons and just what said weapons are. This is pretty important!)**


	17. Bayley's Birthday (Part 4)

**So, after all of the feelsy moments from Seth last chapter, get ready for some more this chapter with Bayley getting her fair share of feels sharing, too. Enjoy, my loves.**

 **(Teeny side note: This is actually going to be the next to last chapter of the Bayley's Birthday arc of this story, with a new arc coming soon. A new arc that I'm hoping will fit into this month pretty well. =3 )**

Yawning as she woke up from her nap, Bayley sleepily sat up in her bed as she found that the house was fairly quiet, save for the TV playing just downstairs. Carefully climbing out of her bed-seeing as how the distance from the floor to her bed was a bit higher than she was used to, seeing as how she was still stuck as a four year old-Bayley made her way downstairs and was surprised to see that it was just Naomi sitting on one of the couches.

Turning her gaze from the reality show that was playing on the TV, Naomi smiled upon seeing the now-awake brunette. "Well, well. Look who woke up from her nap."

"Hey, Auntie Naomi. Where are Seth, Dean, and Uncle Jimmy?" Bayley asked, rubbing her eyes as she looked around.

"They had to go attend to some Gem stuff. But, don't worry. I think they'll be back soon," Naomi said, hoping to quell any worries Bayley may have. Seeing that her words seemed to have a calming effect on the younger brunette, Naomi asked "So, Bayley. Can I...talk to you about something?"

"Sure, Auntie Naomi. What is it?" Bayley asked in spite of the slight jolt of worry she felt.

"How have things been for you lately? You haven't really been worried about anything, have you?" Naomi asked.

"N-no. Not really," Bayley said, looking down at her feet as she tugged on her shirt.

" _Bayley_. Don't lie to me, boo. You should know that you can't lie to me," Naomi said, a stern note in her voice. Her voice softening, Naomi said "Bayley. Come on. You know you can talk to me about anything, right? I mean, I might not see you all that often, but you should know that I'm an open ear for anything you may need to talk about."

Hearing Naomi say all of this, Bayley knew the older Gem was right. There was something really nagging at her thoughts, but...she just wasn't quite sure how to really get what was on her mind out there to talk about. It wasn't until she looked up and saw the look on Naomi's face that she knew it was okay to talk about what had really been on her mind for the past few days. So, taking a breath in and letting it out, Bayley launched into telling Naomi what had been bothering her so much. "If it hasn't really been all that obvious, I haven't really been looking forward to my thirteenth birthday. I mean, I was at first. But, then seeing how upset it was all making Seth and hearing one of my friends say that made me the oldest in our group, it just made me feel all...weird."

"Weird? How so?" Naomi asked, although she felt that she might have a good idea about what Bayley might be getting at.

"I dunno. Like...like I was growing up a bit too fast. I've always been the runt out of me, Dean, Seth, and Ro, so me getting older...it just feels weird at times. I just...I just don't want to see the guys get sad about all of this." At this point of Bayley's admission, the young brunette was wiping at her face to try to stop the tears that seemed to flow without relent. While Bayley was always one to let people know just what was on her mind about stuff, that wasn't to say that she had a good handle on her emotions at times. So, to be talking about how she had been feeling about something that was weighing pretty heavily on her as of late was making the not-currently-ponytailed brunette feel fairly emotional. It was after a few minutes of her silent crying that Bayley calmed herself down and looked at Naomi as she wiped her face. Around a few sniffles, Bayley said "Sorry you had to see me like that, Auntie Naomi."

"You don't have to apologize for that, boo," Naomi said in a calm voice. Rising from her seat as she walked over to the younger brunette, Naomi knelt down so that she could be at Bayley's eye level. "Bayley. Like we've told you before, you don't have to worry about feeling bad about things like this. Yes, you're half human and you're going to get older. But, that's nothing that you should feel too bad about. We've all just been so happy to be a part of seeing you grow up that you feeling so down about turning 13 just doesn't seem like you. You shouldn't be feeling so down about something that naturally happens to you. I hope you start to feel better about all of this soon."

Bayley was all set to answer the older woman when the front door swung open and Seth walked in, carrying something that looked like it was inside of a glass ball. Not even saying anything, Bayley quickly dashed over to the two-toned Gem and wrapped her arms around Seth's legs.

Trying to keep his balance, Seth said "Whoa, Bayley! Where's the fire?"

Looking up at the Gem, Bayley said "Seth, I'm so sorry for all of this! I didn't mean to make myself younger or anything. I've just been feeling kinda bad about stuff lately."

"Stuff? Stuff like what?" Seth asked while looking over at Naomi as a way of saying "Can you take this?" while he held out his hand with the ball.

"Well... It's mostly all about me getting older," Bayley said, releasing her hold on Seth's legs. "Look. I know that me getting older is something that's normal for me since I'm part human. And...I haven't exactly been handling it all that well. But, I just want to let you know that I'm okay with it now. I don't mind it that I'm going to grow up. I just hope you and the others don't mind it, either."

"Bayley, of course we don't mind you getting older. After all, watching you grow up is something that we've been happy to be a part of. If anything, I think I should be apologizing to you," Seth said as he handed off the ball to Naomi before he knelt down to Bayley's eye level. "Look. I have a feeling that maybe your recent bad feelings have been kinda thanks to me. And, I just want to say that I'm sorry for that. I know that it's been me, Dean, and Roman that have all equally been raising you your whole life, but I just want to say that raising you has been one of the best things I've done in my whole life. Getting to watch you grow from the baby that was left in our care to the girl you are today has been something that I never thought I'd enjoy as much as I have. I just don't want you to think that I, or any of us, have anything against you growing up. If anything, that'll just give us more to look forward when you're not so small anymore."

"Yeah. I guess you're pretty right about that. Plus, as I get older, I've got you guys to help teach me how to better summon my shield and a lot of other cool Gem stuff," Bayley said, starting to feel excited. "Thanks for talking with me about all of this, Seth."

"Hey, it's no big deal. After all, as one of your guardians, that's one of my jobs," Seth said, smiling as he caught Bayley in his arms in a hug.

Still holding the ball Seth had given her, Naomi smiled as she watched the sight before her. She knew that a lot of why Bayley had been feeling so bad lately was because this was all a talk that Bayley and Seth needed to have. After all, Bayley reaching a milestone like her thirteenth birthday was something that the Gems had all been looking forward to as it would mean that she was growing from the naive youngster she was into someone who was confident and sure of herself. And it was moments like these that made Naomi happy that she, Seth, and the others had been chosen to be Bayley's guardians. The braided Gem was all set to take care of what was within the ball Seth had handed to her when a bright pink light coming from Bayley and Seth's direction caught her eye. Turning back to see what was happening, Naomi was surprised by what she was seeing: Right before her and Seth's eyes, the illuminated form of Bayley could be seen growing in height from the four year old she was up to where her normal height as a 12-soon to be 13-year old normally was.

Feeling that how she was hugging Seth seemed a bit different than how it was, Bayley opened her eyes and was very surprised to see that she was slightly looking down at the two-toned Gem. Blinking, Bayley asked "Um, Seth? Did you get shorter or something?"

Releasing his hold on Bayley, Seth now looked up at the brunette and, not stopping the smile that seemed to split his face, said "No, no I didn't, Bayley. It's more like you grew!"

"Wait, really? I did?" Bayley asked, surprised to hear this.

"Yeah, really! Go look at yourself in your mirror upstairs, and you'll see for yourself," Seth said.

"OK!" Bayley chirped before taking off at a dash upstairs to her "bedroom". Heading over to the mirror that was positioned on the wall, Bayley was delighted to see that she could actually see herself in the mirror now. Looking down at her body, Bayley did a spin in place as she saw that she could normally fit into her pajamas again. Unable to hold it in, Bayley let out a happy squeal as she bounced in place a bit. Running back downstairs just as the front door opened and Dean and Jimmy walked inside, Bayley stopped in front of the other two Gems and said "Dean, Uncle Jimmy, look! I'm me again! I'm back to myself!" as she spun around in place.

"That's great, runt," Dean said, smiling as he ruffled Bayley's bedhead.

"I gotta agree with Dean there," Jimmy said, a smile of his own on his face. "How'd you manage to get back to yourself?"

"I'm...still not really all that sure. I was talking with Seth one minute, and the next thing I know, I'm looking down at him." Bayley scratched her head in thought. "Whatever helped things, I'm just happy that things are back to normal as normal is for us."

"Can't say I disagree with you about that," Dean said. Looking around at everyone in the house, Dean said "Now, then. How's about we get things prepared for Bayley's birthday party?"

Hearing Dean mention her party, Bayley couldn't in the excitement that had been building inside of her as she threw both her hands in the air and said "Oh, yeah!"

 **Yay, Bayley's back to normal now! =D Looks like all it really took was _both_ Bayley and Seth really talking about what had been weighing on their minds and how they were feeling about things as of late. Now that the two Gems have worked over their own sets of worries and Bayley's returned back to her normal self, she and the others can get ready for her coming birthday party...which will be coming next chapter (and which will probably end this little arc out). So, until next time, don't forget to R &R, my loves. =)**


	18. Bayley's Birthday (Part 5)

**Happy beginning-of-the-Halloween-weekend, my dolls! As a Halloween treat from me, here is the end of the Bayley's Birthday arc of Bayley's Universe...with an added surprise at the end of the chapter. I hope you all enjoy this. =)**

With the success of returning back to her normal age earlier that afternoon, Bayley excitedly went about calling Sami, Becky, Paige, and Finn to let them know about when her birthday party would be. After getting replies back that they would all be able to make it, the brunette did her best to hold in her excitement about her coming party. Since this was the first time she was ever going to have friends attend her birthday party, the ponytailed Gem just wanted things to be as perfect as they could be.

 _'I know that Dean, Seth, Aunt Naomi, and Uncle Jimmy will make my party great, but I hope my friends will have fun at it,'_ Bayley thought as she sat and watched one of her favorite cartooons. Shaking her head, Bayley then thought _'No, come on now, don't get worried! Worrying is what got you in the mess we just got out of. Just be cool, and everything will be fine.'_

...

Saturday came, and with it came Bayley's birthday and her birthday party. Waking up that morning, the brunette Gem was greeted with the smells and sounds of breakfast being made. A smile starting to tug at the corners of her mouth, Bayley climbed out of bed and bounded down the stairs to the main level of the house. She had only just gotten downstairs before hearing...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BAYLEY!" Seth, Naomi, Jimmy, and Dean all yelled as they stood in wait for the younger Gem at the bottom of the stairs.

Jumping in place as she accidentally summoned her shield, Bayley laughed a bit as she willed her weapon away. Smiling as she looked up at her guardians and her aunt and uncle, Bayley said "Wow. You all sure know how to surprise someone on their birthday."

"Oh, come on, runt. You know you liked our surprise," Dean grinned.

"Yeah, I did," Bayley grinned back. "I mean, I may have summoned my shield, but I liked how you guys surprised me."

"Good to hear," Dean said as he ruffled the younger brunette's hair.

"Today's your big day," Naomi smiled. "How are you feeling this morning, boo?"

"Not...all that different, to be honest," Bayley said. "I know today I'm turning 13, but...I don't feel any different. Is that bad?"

"No, not at all," Seth stepped forward. "It's not a bad thing at all that you don't feel any different about turning 13 today. It just probably means that you're ready for what comes with turning a year older. And, I don't think that's bad."

"You think so?" Bayley asked. Seeing the two-toned Gem nod his head, Bayley smiled and said "Thanks, Seth. I guess I just feel a bit nervous about today. It's the first time I've ever had anyone come over for my birthday party, so I'm just a bit nervous about that. I hope my friends will all have fun today."

"I'm sure they will, baby girl," Jimmy smiled. "With your cool aunt and uncle and Seth and Dean here, they're going to have a ball."

Laughing at what Jimmy said, Bayley said "Thanks, Uncle Jimmy. I just can't wait! I'm just so excited for you and Aunt Naomi to meet my friends. I'm sure you guys will like them once you meet them."

"Of course we will, boo," Naomi smiled. "They're your friends, after all. And, if what Seth's been telling us about them is true, I'm sure they'll be just as nice as you are."

"They are!" Bayley excitedly chirped. "First, there's Becky. She helped me out when I first started going to school. And, then there's Paige. She's been telling me a lot about some movies that she's seen that I should try some time..."

As Bayley went on and talked about her friends with Naomi-even after she had gotten her breakfast and began eating-Seth and the other Gems shared a smile over just how happy Bayley was. And they had a feeling that she'd be even happier with the birthday party they were going to have for her later in the afternoon.

 _Later That Day; In The Afternoon, To Be Exact_

Bayley still thought it was pretty weird that Seth and the others had sent her away to the store. While she had a feeling that it was all so that the older Gems could work on her party planning, it still seemed weird. But, now that she was heading back home, she could start to see just why the others had sent her away: As she came back home, Bayley saw what looked like Seth and the others all gathered outside with Sami, Becky, Paige, and Finn all there too, standing around a cloth-covered picnic table that had balloons at the ends. Surprisingly enough, Bayley could see that Josh and Emma were also with the gathered group. Since it seemed like nobody had noticed her yet, Bayley tried to sneak up on the group. ...This plan didn't seem to work as the next thing she knew, everyone looked her way and all said...

"SURPRISE! HAPPY THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY, BAYLEY!"

Grinning widely as she ran the rest of the way over to where everyone was gathered, Bayley all but leapt into the open and waiting arms of Seth while everyone else either laughed at the display or Aww'ed at how cute it was.

Pulling away from the younger brunette, Seth smiled. "I'm guessing you like what we've done for your party."

Nodding her head, Bayley said "Of course I do! You and Dean and Aunt Naomi and Uncle Jimmy are all here, and all of my friends are here too! I think this has gotta be one of my favorite birthday parties you guys have ever thrown for me."

"We're glad to hear that, Bayley," Seth said. "Now, come on. Everyone's all waiting to give you the presents they got for you."

"OK!" Bayley chirped.

The whole of Bayley's birthday party wasn't entirely long, but it was filled with fun that the birthday girl was happy to have. From the games that she played with Sami, Becky, Paige, and Finn to the food she and most of the others ate-Dean and Jimmy made some pretty tasty food, and Emma even made a really delicious chocolate birthday cake-to the presents she got, Bayley just couldn't help the immense swell of happiness that rose within her; even after her party ended and all of her friends had gone home, Bayley was still beaming widely as she sat on the couch in the living room, hugging the plushie Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles she had gotten from Emma.

"Well, I guess it's about time we take off," Naomi said, standing beside Jimmy in the kitchen area with Seth and Dean.

"Really? It's time for you two to leave already?" Bayley asked, turning to look over to the older Gems.

"Yeah. We're sorry, boo." Naomi knelt down as Bayley walked over to join the group. Giving the younger Gem a hug, Naomi said "But, it's alright. Like every year, we had fun here, and it was great meeting all of your friends."

"And everyone liked meeting you guys, too," Bayley said. "I just wish you guys could stay a bit longer. I really hate that this is the only time of the year I get to see you guys."

"Don't worry, baby girl," Jimmy said, resting a hand on the brunette's head. "We'll try to come visit again soon."

"Yeah. Sooner than Bayley'll think," Dean mumbled, which earned him an elbow to the side from Seth.

"I hope so." Bayley pulled away from Naomi. "I can't wait until you guys come back."

"We can't wait either," Naomi smiled. Taking hold of Jimmy's hand, Naomi said "We'll see y'all later" as she waved at everyone.

"Bye, Auntie Naomi! Bye, Uncle Jimmy!" Bayley said as she waved at the older Gems with Seth and Dean doing the same.

Once Naomi and Jimmy had left, Seth said "Alright, Bayley. Time to get ready for bed."

"OK, Seth," Bayley said. Walking over to Seth and giving him a hug, Bayley said "Thanks again for throwing me such a great birthday party. I really enjoyed it."

"No problem, Bayley." Seth hugged Bayley back. "Just seeing you enjoy yourself was the best thing about it."

"And, I did," Bayley said as she hugged Dean. "I'd better go get ready for bed." Dashing away from the other Gems, Bayley grabbed her Michelangelo plushie and ran up the stairs to her "bedroom", the memories of her birthday party still fresh in her mind.

...

Holding Naomi's hand as they walked away together, Jimmy said "You know we were supposed to tell Bayley about us this year."

"I know, Jimmy, I know. I...I just couldn't." Naomi ran a hand through her braids. "After everything that happened with Bayley, I just didn't know how she'd take the news."

"Probably fairly well, I reckon," Jimmy grinned. "After all, it's us and Roman. Knowing Bayley, she would've been so surprised."

"I know," Naomi smiled. "Don't worry. We can tell her next year. Maybe sooner than that, if the occasion presents itself. Promise."

"That's my girl." Jimmy's grin softened into a smile as he pulled Naomi into his arms and gave his fellow Gem a hug akin to the ones Bayley would greet them with. Feeling a warmth spread through him and seeing a light blue glow start to envelop him and the braided Gem, Jimmy smiled as he planted a kiss on Naomi's forehead as the glow completely enveloped the pair. This glow now enveloping the two, their forms could be seen melding into one as the person left standing in the field the two Gems once were in was Roman, arms outstretched, eyes closed and with a smile on his face.

Looking down at the white and blue Gems embedded in the palms of his hands, Roman thought _'Soon, Bayley. Soon, I'll tell you all about me. And what I really am'_ as the moonlight caught the surfaces of the Gems and the stones glimmered in the night.

 **And (like I said above), thus ends the Bayley's Birthday arc of Bayley's Universe. While I didn't really go into the most detail with Bayley's birthday party, I feel like I hit some of the high points on just what would come in a 13 year old's birthday party...and, what a nice birthday party it was. =) Now, I hope you guys all liked the surprise at the end of Naomi and Jimmy being Gems that fuse into Roman. I had Garnet on the mind as I was writing them (plus, I actually tossed around the idea of Roman actually being a fusion of Naomi and Jimmy with xXLadyRachelXx...thanks for the idea here, dear), so I feel I did fairly well introducing my first fusion into this. ^^ Now, until my next arc, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(I don't know for sure if I'll be able to start my proposed Halloween-esque arc for this like I planned, what with Halloween coming so soon...so, if anything, I'll probably just move on to my next arc soon (...that I'm still ironing out details of...it _might or might not be_ spooky(ish) in nature, still undecided).)**


	19. A New Gem (Part 1)

**Wowzers! I actually got the next arc started sooner than I thought...consider this a Halloween treat from me (;D). OK, now I know I said this arc would probably have something in the way of spooky goings-on, but...this idea was something that just came to me as I started writing the chapter. Want to know what the new arc is all about? Read on to find out. And, I hope you all enjoy, my loves (even though this is a fairly short start to the arc). =)**

Lately, Bayley had been feeling fairly...perplexed about something. She had recently gotten an assignment in Mr. Regal's class to bring in something that was an important part of their family's history. The only problem with this was...well, she wasn't quite sure if the Gems had anything that was safe that she could take to school.

"Well, we do have that one picture of us with FDR," Dean mused one day while Bayley was at school. "Would that count?"

"Uh... I'm not sure. After all, the people at Bayley's school have seen us, so they'd probably think we faked that picture," Seth countered.

"Oh, right. I forgot that some humans can pretty picky about stuff like that," Dean agreed before scratching his head as he tried to think of something. An idea coming to him, Dean said "Hows about we let Bayley take one of the artifacts with her?"

"The artifacts? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Seth asked, immediately feeling apprehensive at Dean's idea.

"Well, it's not like anything in there could really hurt her. It's all just stuff that's got cracked Gems in them, so I think something from in there will be okay."

"If...if you say so," Seth hesitantly said. "Just...just don't let Roman know, OK? He'd probably split, he'd be so angry."

"Got it," Dean nodded as he slid off of the stool he was sitting on. "I'll take a quick look around for something, and bring it out."

"OK. Just...just make it quick," Seth said as he shooed Dean away. Watching as the sandy blonde Gem walked away, Seth thought _'Dean's more than likely right. All of the stuff in that room has cracked Gems in them, so they can't hurt Bayley. ...Right?'_

...

Reaching her home after a pretty good day at school, Bayley opened the front door and said "Seth? Dean? Roman? I'm home."

Coming from one of the back rooms with Seth following him, Dean said "Hey. Welcome home, Bayley. How was school today?"

"It was pretty okay. Most of my classes went fairly okay today," Bayley said as she took off her backpack and put it at the bottom of the staircase.

"Most of them? Was one of them not good today?" Seth asked.

"Not exactly. I just had to have a talk with Mr. Regal about how my project was going. He...wasn't all that thrilled when I told him I still didn't have anything to bring in," Bayley said. "I just hope I can find something soon. I don't want to fail this."

"Well, Bayley. How would you feel if I said you didn't have to worry about this project anymore?" Dean asked, a grin starting to cross his face.

"I...I'd feel great about that." Bayley began to smile before asking "But, wait. What do you mean, Dean? Were you guys able to find something I could take to school?"

"Yes. Yes, we were," Dean said. Reaching into his back pocket, Dean pulled his hand around and said "Ta-da!"

Looking at what the sandy blonde Gem was holding, Bayley was surprised to see that it was a relatively normal-looking silver brooch with a trapezoid-shaped magenta gem in the center of it; the most noticeable thing about the brooch was the fact that there was a rather big crack in the gem. "Ooh, that's so pretty. Where'd it come from?"

"This is a brooch that one of our friends had. It's a bit roughed up, as you can see, but it's something that you can take to school for your project." As Dean told Bayley about the brooch, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about what he was saying; this being because...basically everything he was telling Bayley was a complete lie. "Now, promise that you'll take good care of this."

"I will, Dean, I will," Bayley nodded her head. Taking the brooch from Dean, Bayley said "Thanks, Dean. Thanks, Seth."

"No problem, squirt," Dean said, smiling as he ruffled Bayley's hair a bit.

"Anything we can do to help," Seth said, a somewhat uneasy smile crossing his face.

As Bayley held the brooch in her hand, the ponytailed Gem didn't notice the slight glow that cascaded across the surface of the Gem in the brooch.

 **Hmm... It would appear as though we have a bit of a good news/bad news situation here. Good news = Bayley has something that she can take to school for her project for Mr. Regal's class. Bad news = it's a Gem artifact that may or may not cause Bayley harm. Who knows? We'll just have to wait and see. Until next update, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(And, now I return to my MUCH-NEEDED catch-up marathon of Steven Universe. OH, HOW I'VE MISSED THIS SHOW! TuT)**


	20. A New Gem (Part 2)

**I hope everyone's liked the start to the newest arc of Bayley's Universe. After writing this chapter up, I feel like this arc is probably going to shape up to be the first instance of heavy stuff happening in this story...that and this is where I'm gonna try to work more in the way of action scenes into the story. Curious about why I'm saying this? Read on to find out, my loves, and enjoy. =)**

Lying on her bed as she looked at the brooch Dean and Seth gave her, Bayley was still fairly captivated by the simple piece of jewelry; although, said captivation could be because of the cracked Gem that lied in the center of the brooch. For the whole time Bayley had been alive and she had exposure to Gems that weren't in human or creature form, she had never seen one that had a crack in it.

 _'I wonder why there's a crack in this. Maybe it's because the guys have had it so long and it got cracked when they were moving stuff around. Although, if they've had it for so long, it's kinda weird that they haven't fixed it,'_ Bayley thought, looking at the surface of the stone.

Knocking at the door broke the young brunette from her train of thought. Putting the brooch in one of her pants pockets, Bayley headed down the stairs from her "bedroom" to open the front door. Pulling open the door after checking through the peephole to see who it was, Bayley said "Hey, Sami. What brings you over here?"

"I was just coming to see if you might need some help with your project for Mr. Regal. I know you said that you might have something by now, but I just wanted to see if you maybe wanted help finding something," Sami stepped into Bayley's house.

"Actually, Dean had something waiting for me when I got home today," Bayley said. "You want to see what it is?"

"Sure. That is...if you don't mind giving me a sneak peek," Sami said, curious about just what his friend had.

"Of course I don't mind. In fact, I'd like someone to look at it anyway," Bayley said. Watching as Sami took a seat at the kitchen island, Bayley reached into her pocket and pulled out the brooch. Showing it to her friend, Bayley said "See? There's a big crack in the Gem, and...I want to fix it, but...I don't know how. You think you might know how to fix it?"

Taking the brooch and looking at it, Sami felt fairly confused about how to fix it. The only idea he had was to glue it back together, but he didn't know if that would work. But, deciding it'd be better to try that than do nothing, Sami suggested "Do you have any glue? Maybe I could glue it together."

"Um, I think we have some here somewhere," Bayley mused. "I'll have to look for it first."

"That's okay," Sami said. "Also, do you have anything I could use to maybe pry the Gem out of the metal part?"

"Um... Just a sec," Bayley said. After digging around in one of the kitchen cabinets, Bayley found a blunt edged ball tool Seth used when he worked on models. Giving the tool to the redhead, Bayley said "Maybe this could work."

"It probably will. Thanks," Sami nodded. Laying the brooch on the island, Sami slid one end of the tool under one side of the Gem and began to push down on the tool in the hopes of popping the stone out of the metal. The redhead had tried this for a number of minutes before finally succeeding as the Gem popped out of its metal enclosure. "OK. I got it."

"Wow. Thanks, Sami," Bayley said, watching on as Sami picked up the Gem and handed it to her. Now getting a chance to hold the Gem in her hand, the ponytailed brunette was impressed with how the Gem only had a crack on the side that was facing out of the brooch while the back was seemingly in one piece. She was so focused on looking at the Gem that the bright glow emitting from the Gem's surface made her almost drop the stone in surprise. "Wha-What's going on?!"

"Bayley? What's going on?! Why is that stone glowing like that?" Sami asked, leaping down from the stool.

"I-I don't know! I didn't think it was going to do something like-AAH!" Bayley let out a yell as the stone started to feel heated. Quickly dropping it, Bayley backed away from where the stone landed. Seeing the glow from the Gem spread into a large form, Bayley ran over to Sami and summoned her shield. "Sami, stay behind my shield! I don't know what's happening, so stay back where it's safe!"

"OK," Sami nodded, feeling a bit scared of just what was going on as he moved to stand behind Bayley.

With Sami behind her, Bayley kept her shield up as the glowing form spread into a more humanoid form. It wasn't until the form stopped growing and spreading that Bayley saw the form stand into a figure that was about her height. Watching as the glow faded away, Bayley couldn't help the surprised gasp that escaped her.

Seeing the form in front of he and Bayley, Sami nervously asked "Bayley? Wha...what is that?"

"I don't know," Bayley admitted. "But, I...I think it's another Gem like...like me, Dean, Seth, and Roman."

...

Walking up the stairway that led to their house, Dean carried the bags from the grocery store that held what he and Seth would make for dinner that evening. He was almost set to open the front door when a bright purple glow shined through the windows.

 _'Oh, hell,'_ Dean thought, dropping the bags in worry. Throwing open the door, Dean looked inside to see Bayley standing behind her summoned shield and Sami standing behind her in the kitchen area and a girl with magenta hair dressed in a sleeveless white top, black leggings, and a pair of white calf-high boots with purple lines extending up the lengths of the boots; the most noticeable thing the sandy blonde saw was the cracked magenta Gem that was in the girl's upper back. Feeling breathless at seeing this Gem, Dean got out "Sasha."

Hearing her name said, the new Gem, Sasha, turned to look at the sandy blonde. A look of recognition crossing her face, Sasha only said "Dean" before summoning a whip that looked similar to Dean's-the only difference being that purple crystals went down the length of the whip-and lashing out with a yell as Bayley screamed out "NO, DON'T!"

 **...Wowzers! Talk about some major Gem craziness happening all in the span of one chapter, huh? In between Bayley and Sami inadvertently freeing a Gem from its metal enclosure to said Gem actually assuming a human form to Dean coming home, seeing the new Gem, and recognizing it (...err, her) to the new Gem lashing out at Dean and this worrying Bayley, a lot is going on in our ponytailed cinnamon roll's world. Will Bayley be able to stop Sasha before her attack hits Dean? Just why does it seem like Dean knows this Gem, Sasha? And, just who exactly is Sasha (along with many other questions that abound around her, like A) What caused her Gem to be cracked?, B) Why was her Gem in a brooch?, and others)? All of these questions and more shall be answered in the coming chapters of this arc (how many, I'm not sure yet). Until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(And, if anyone's noticed the slight parallels between how I brought Sasha Banks into the fold of the story, I was watching one of the newest episodes of Steven Universe, Alone at Sea, and just seeing a Steven and Lapis episode got stuck in my brain, so...I just went from there. I hope Sasha as Lapis is a nice treat for you all. =3 )**


	21. A New Gem (Part 3)

_Hearing her name said, the new Gem, Sasha, turned to look at the sandy blonde. A look of recognition crossing her face, Sasha only said "Dean" before summoning a whip that looked similar to Dean's-the only difference being that purple crystals went down the length of the whip-and lashing out with a yell as Bayley screamed out "NO, DON'T!"_

 **So, after Sasha's attack on Dean, whatever will happen next? Read on to find out, my loves. And, I hope you all enjoy what comes with this chapter. =)**

Not knowing what to do in that moment, Bayley seemed frozen in place until she decided to go with the first instinct to cross her mind: Throwing her hands in the direction of Sasha's whip, Bayley watched as her shield collided with the whip and managed to bury part of the length in the floor. Not saying anything, Bayley silently fist pumped in celebration, seeing as how she was able to save the older Gem...for the time being.

Looking over to where Bayley and Sami were standing, Sasha scowled. "You! Humans! How dare you get in my way?!"

"I...I'm not going to let you hurt Dean!" Bayley said, stepping forward a bit. "He hasn't done anything to hurt you, so...why did you just try to attack him?"

"My business with him is none of your concern. But, if you must know, I have unfinished business with...with Dean," Sasha practically spat Dean's name.

"Unfinished busine-Dean, what's she talking about?" Bayley looked over to the older Gem. However, really looking at Dean, Bayley started to feel more worried than she already was: Dean, who normally came off as so laidback and lax, seemed almost scared of something. Whether it was this new Gem or the fact that she attacked him, Bayley didn't know; all she did know was that Dean didn't seem to be in any sort of shape to defend himself.

"Bayley? What's going on? What's wrong with Dean?" Sami asked, feeling worried himself.

"I...I don't know, Sami," Bayley said. "I've never seen Dean like this before. It's almost like he's seen a ghost or something."

"A ghost? Ha! I don't exactly think that'd be the right thing to say about his sister," Sasha smirked as she put a hand on her hip.

"Wait. _Sister?!_ " Looking back to Dean, Bayley asked "Dean. Is that true?"

Letting out a sigh, Dean said "Yeah, more or less, it is. Bayley, Sami,...meet my sister, Sasha."

...

"Remind me to give you and Dean both a good punch when we get back home," Roman said, marching through the city with Seth following beside him.

"Rome, we were just doing what we could to help Bayley with her school assignment. We didn't think it was all that big a deal that we give her Sasha's brooch," Seth hurried to keep up with the brunette Gem.

"Well, it _is_ , Seth!" Roman snapped. "Have you forgotten that we kept Sasha hidden away for a reason?"

"Yeah...I did. But...I think it'll be okay," Seth tried to reason with Roman. Flying up the hill to their house with Roman, Seth said "After all, so long as she doesn't try to take Sasha's Gem out, I think it'll be alright that Bayley has her brooch."

"And, what if she did try to take Sasha's Gem out, Seth? Huh? What then?" Roman prodded.

Seth was set to answer this line of questioning when a crash from inside the house caught his attention. Not even looking over to Roman, Seth threw open the door and almost fainted when he saw the sight before him: Bayley's shield was stuck in the floor with a whip coming from it, and the owner of a whip was a face he hadn't seen in some number of years. "Sasha," Seth barely got out.

Looking in the direction her name was called, Sasha's gaze landed on Seth and almost immediately softened. Dropping her whip, the magenta Gem ran over to the two-toned Gem, and, throwing her arms around his waist, buried her face in Seth's' stomach as a few sobs could be heard coming from her.

Now feeling more confused than she already was, Bayley couldn't even begin to process where to begin asking questions. First seeing Sasha try to attack Dean and now seeing her hugging Seth...none of it seemed to make any real sense to the ponytailed brunette. So, when she finally saw a none-too-pleased Roman come through the door, Bayley blurted "Roman! What the heck is going on in here?!"

Looking around and taking in all of what was going on, Roman calmly walked inside and over to where Seth was standing with Sasha. Resting his right hand on the smaller Gem's head, Roman said "Sasha. It's been a few years, hasn't it?"

Her gaze now turning to look up at Roman, Sasha said "That's putting a bit lightly, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess it is," Roman let out a bit of a laugh. Looking over to the highly confused Bayley and the pretty frightened Sami, Roman said "I guess you've met our new house guests."

"I have. And...you mind filling me in on just why it is that you have a couple of... _humans_ in here?" Sasha seemed to cringe when she said the word "humans".

"Actually, the boy Sami is the only human in here. The girl Bayley, she's a half-Gem," Roman explained.

"A half-Gem? Roman, how can such a thing even be?" Sasha questioned. "Just the idea of a _half-Gem_...that's just an old fable we tell."

Feeling as though she was being talked about in not too friendly of a way, Bayley blurted "It's true! I am a half-Gem! And, I can prove it, too!" In a quick flourish, Bayley pulled up the hem of her t-shirt and showed the magenta Gem the stone that was in her belly button. Upon seeing the surprised look on Sasha's face, Bayley decided to continue proving that she was a Gem in her own right, the brunette summoned her shield again, drawing a surprised gasp from the magenta Gem. Willing her shield away, Bayley said "See? Maybe next time, that'll teach you not to jump to conclusions" as she pulled her shirt back down.

Feeling utterly flummoxed at all of this, Sasha snapped around to look at Roman and Seth. "You two knew about this child? And, you're letting her live? Have you both lost your minds?!"

"Now, now, Sasha. Before you do anything, we have our reasons," Seth tried to calm the smaller Gem down.

"Reasons like what, Seth? In case you forgot, there are certain Gems that we can't allow to let live. Now, I've never encountered a half-Gem before, but...I'm fairly certain that this child is one that we can't allow to stay alive." In a blur of movement, Sasha summoned her whip again; however, when she attempted to lash out at Bayley, she soon found her arms pinned to her sides by a black whip with white crystals that ran up its length. Looking in the direction of the origin of this whip, Sasha spat "Why, you... Let me go, at once!"

Keeping a firm hold on his whip, Dean shook his head. "Uh-uh. No way, runt. I'm not gonna stand idly by and let you hurt Bayley."

A scoff escaping her, Sasha mockingly said "Figures you'd try to defend a mistake like that. After all, you misfits all just have to band together, don't you?"

Feeling his temper rise, Dean so much wanted to act on his baser instinct, but decided not to when he heard Bayley and Seth pleading for him to calm down. Not saying a word, Dean instead kept his grip on the handle of his whip.

Looking between Roman and Seth, Sasha said "Well. Aren't one of you guys going to get me out of this?"

"We would, but after all of what you just said, we've decided not to," Seth said, a bit of a scowl on his face.

"Oh come on, Seth. I was just being honest. I mean, with one Gem in here that didn't grow all the way to...whatever that girl is, how could you _not_ agree with me? Those two are just mistakes. So, let me go and help me take care of them," Sasha wiggled around in the hold Dean's whip had on her.

Not having said anything for a stretch of time, Roman finally said "Sasha. Would you still want to hurt these two if meant you were going to hurt a Gem Natalya personally saved and the bearer of her Gem" of Dean and Bayley respectively.

Her fidgeting coming to an almost complete halt, Sasha looked at Roman, surprise clear on her face. "What? What did you just say?"

 ***holds up STOP sign* OK, now I feel bad that I've brought in another cliffy, but I felt it was needed here lest the chapter become a monster. But, fear not! The resolution for this cliffy'll come in the next chapter. And, trust me. It's going to be cliffy resolution that'll hopefully be what you all wanted. After all, what with Sasha basically going on a hurting-people spree, Roman making mentions of "Natalya" (said mentions seemingly stopping Sasha before she could even think about hurting anyone else), and Bayley and Sami still largely (and respectively) confused and scared of what just happened, sure seems like a lot of stuff is going on. But, like I've already said, fear not! Answers shall come along for your reading pleasure in the next chapter. So, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(...Huh. I didn't even notice this, but I think on some kind of weird subconscious level of my thinking, I might've made Sasha a weird meld of Peridot and Bismuth on top of already having her be my Lapis in this. I guess this is what happens when I have a couple of my favorite SU characters on the brain. ^^, )**


	22. A New Gem (Part 4)

_Not having said anything for a stretch of time, Roman finally said "Sasha. Would you still want to hurt these two if meant you were going to hurt a Gem Natalya personally saved and the bearer of her Gem" of Dean and Bayley respectively._

 _Her fidgeting coming to an almost complete halt, Sasha looked at Roman, surprise clear on her face. "What? What did you just say?"_

 **Ready to find out (...part of) Sasha's past ties with Dean? Read on to find out, and I hope you enjoy, my dolls. =)**

 **(Warning: There is light swearing later in the chapter...that comes from Dean (which is a bit normal since he's Dean effin' Ambrose).)**

Feeling a whole new world of confused at what Roman just told Sasha, Bayley couldn't help the bubble of a yell that rose within her. "Can someone _please_ just tell me what's going on here?! I was only supposed to be doing an assignment for school, and now I'm in the middle of another Gem trying to hurt me and some of my friends? Just...what is even going on?!"

Looking over at the clearly confused-and quite irritated-brunette, Seth said "We're sorry, Bayley. We didn't think we'd have to tell you so soon about Sasha. We were going to wait until you were at least a bit older."

"That or we were gonna wait until we felt you could take learning about Sasha," Dean said, his grip still firmly on his whip.

"But... Why does it seem like Sasha's so mean? Why'd she try to attack Dean? Why was she talking about me and him the way she was? Just... Who is she?" Bayley asked, her confusion mounting with each question.

"For starters, Bayley, please calm down," Roman tried to calm the brunette down. Seeing that Bayley seemed a bit calmer, Roman said "Now, there's a reason we've never told you about Sasha."

"And what reason is that? If she's a Gem like us, then shouldn't I get the chance to get to know her?" Bayley questioned.

"It's like Seth said we were going to tell you about Sasha soon. We just felt it would've been better to wait until you were older," Roman explained. "I'm sure you've noticed that her Gem is cracked."

"Yeah. Me and Sami saw that while her Gem was still in that brooch you guys gave me. What happened? What caused her Gem to get cracked like that?" Bayley asked. However, as soon as she asked this question, Bayley felt a bit of regret as she saw varying looks of uncertainty flash across Roman, Dean, and Seth's faces.

Finally finding it in himself to give an answer, Dean hesitantly raised a hand. "That, uh... That may be because of me."

"You, Dean? What do you mean by that?" Bayley asked, feeling a bit scared of the answer she might get.

Looking back to see the guilt on Dean's face, Sasha scoffed. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you forgot. After all, I almost had you bested in that fight we had, didn't I?"

"That...! You got me from behind! That's the only way you even came close to taking me down!" Dean barked.

"Dean, calm down!" Seth snapped. Looking over to Bayley, Seth began to explain. "What these two mean is that long ago...Dean and Sasha were pretty fierce rivals."

"Rivals? Over what?" Bayley asked.

"It's a long story, Bayley. But, what I can say for now is that the woman that gave her life and Gem to help your creation...Dean and Sasha were two of her most valued allies," Seth said.

"Allies? So...that means you guys all fought stuff like the centipeedles?" Bayley asked.

"To put it simply, yes. With Dean and Sasha at her side, the woman that helped create you was a pretty fierce fighter and took on anything that stood in her way," Seth smiled a bit at these memories before his smile dropped. "Then, that all changed one day."

"Why? What happened?" Bayley pressed on, bracing herself for the answer she would get.

"Well... I'm not even sure when it started, but after some time, Dean and Sasha had gotten into a heated rivalry over just who was the most important person in our fighting force. This led to a number of small fights that would almost always have Sasha coming out on top," Seth said.

"Naturally," Sasha smirked at Dean. "After all, the best of the best always get one over on the screw-ups."

"Why, you!" Dean began as he tightened his whip's grip around Sasha, grinning a bit at the yelp of pain he got from the smaller Gem before letting his grip go back to the original strength of the hold.

"That's enough, you two!" Roman thundered, immediately causing the bickering Gems to stop their fighting and stay quiet.

"Thank you for that, Roman," Seth nodded at the brunette Gem, getting a thumbs-up in return. "Now, to pick up where I left off. No matter how often it was that they fought, Sasha always seemed to come out on top, which...never sat all that well with Dean. So, during one of their fights one day, Dean got the better of her. He had her beat, but...he decided to add the ultimate insult to her injuries."

"And...would this be when he cracked her Gem?" Bayley meekly asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, it would be," Seth nodded, as Dean let Sasha out of his whip's hold and looked away.

Shaking her arms out, Sasha said "He could've just stopped at having me defeated. But, why he even thought to crack my Gem is beyond me."

Looking over to Dean, Bayley looked back to Sasha and tried to reason with the magenta-haired Gem. "I'm sure Dean had his reasons for what he did. Maybe he just got carried away during the fight."

"Yeah. Right. "Carried away". That's it." Sasha scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That still doesn't change the fact that _Dean cracked my Gem_!"

"Look, can you just drop this shit already, Sasha?!" Dean snapped, feeling at his limit. "I know I made a huge mistake with cracking your Gem, and I'm honestly sorry about that! If you didn't attack me when you first formed back into yourself, I probably would've been able to tell you about something I found out."

"Tell me about what? It can't possibly be any good news if it's coming from you," Sasha scowled.

"I was going to tell you...that I think I've found a way to fix your Gem," Dean got out. "Should you decide you want to about it, come find me." With that, Dean threw open the front doors and left the house.

Having bore witness to all of this, Sami finally managed to find his voice and looked to Bayley. "Bayley. Do you think all of that was true?"

"I...I don't know, Sami. If Seth could talk about what happened to them in their pasts so much, then...I guess so," Bayley hesitantly said.

Seeing that Bayley and Sami both seemed fairly confused, Roman said "Perhaps, this is a story we can better tell these two about some other day."

"I think that'd be best too," Seth agreed. Looking over to the teens, Seth said "Sami, how's about I take you on home? I'm sure you could probably use some time alone to process all of what just happened."

"Yeah, I...I think so, too," Sami nodded slowly. Looking over to Bayley, Sami gave the brunette a quick hug. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, I guess? I hope all of what happened here gets patched over."

"Yeah, I hope so too," Bayley agreed, returning Sami's hug. Watching as Seth left with Sami, Bayley turned to see that Roman had gone over to a stunned and silent Sasha. Seeing how Roman was talking with the magenta-haired Gem, Bayley didn't say anything and instead opted to step outside to see if she could find Dean. _'I know what Dean did was pretty bad, but...he's still my friend. I_ have _to see if he's okay,'_ Bayley thought as she stepped through the door and out into the late afternoon.

 **Well, things seem to have escalated and (somewhat) calmed down fairly quickly in the Gem house. Turns out it was Dean that was responsible for Sasha's Gem getting cracked in their past, lo some number of years ago...and it seems like it all stemmed from a pretty bad rivalry between the two. I suppose there's a bright side in it all...Dean seems to know of a way to help Sasha fix her Gem; although, after their fighting, Dean doesn't seem too keen on sharing the news with the magenta Gem. Maybe Bayley can find Dean and try to talk to him while Roman deals with Sasha and Seth takes a reeling Sami home. So much happening in the Gem house there is! Will Bayley be able to find and talk to Dean? Will Roman maybe be able to talk some understanding with the whole situation into Sasha? Just what is the way Dean found to possibly fix Sasha's Gem...and will said way work? And, perhaps one of the biggest questions here is...Will Bayley be able to complete her assignment for class (D:)?! These questions to be answered in the next chapter (or chapters, depending on how the next chapter plays out). Until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(Random bit of shiki fangirling goes here. Thursday, we get a full 30 minute episode of Steven Universe. Oh my god, the hype is REAL! =D )**


	23. A New Gem (Part 5)

**Now, I must offer a cautionary heads-up here. Parts of this chapter are kind of feels-punchy due to what's talked about amongst the characters. ...And, I also gotta admit that I've included an idea in this that is...it's kinda weird and I still feel fairly shaky about it, but...in a way, after rereading this chapter a few times, I feel it fits. But...I'll leave that up to you guys, my readers, to decide. Want to know just what the feels-punchy stuff is and what my odd idea is? Read on to find out, and I hope you enjoy, my loves. =)**

 **(Slight warning: There's a bit of swearing later in the chapter, but it's coming from Dean, so...that should be explanation enough. =P )**

After the front door had closed, Roman found himself left in the house with just Sasha. Looking down at the magenta-haired Gem, Roman said "I'm sure you have something to say."

"No, not _some_ thing. I have _many_ things to say," Sasha said. Turning to look up at Roman, Sasha began to ask. "What did you mean when you said that Dean was personally saved by Natalya? And...what did you even mean when you said that girl is the bearer of Natalya's Gem? And Dean saying he knows of a way to possibly fix my Gem...is such a thing even possible?"

"Well, to some of what you just asked: Natalya saved Dean from a group that was trying to destroy him. The reason why Bayley has Natalya's Gem is that...well, to give you a bit of a short answer, Natalya was in a relationship with a human male and got pregnant with Bayley. Her pregnancy went fairly well until it came time for her to deliver Bayley." At this point, Roman had to stop himself because he started to feel a bit choked up.

Sensing the change in Roman's mood, Sasha asked "Wha...what happened during Natalya's delivery?"

Squeezing his eyes together at the burn of tears he started to feel in the backs of his eyes, Roman continued. "After Natalya had finished delivering Bayley, we all noticed that something wasn't right. Bayley wasn't breathing and she wasn't crying. And, this all threw us into a panic as we didn't know what to do. Until, Natalya made a suggestion that was completely unheard of."

"And that was her giving up her life and her Gem to give Bayley life?" Sasha filled in the blanks. Seeing the brunette nod in confirmation, Sasha seemed to feel a bit breathless. She couldn't believe that she had just shown such hostility to two fellow Gems. She was only acting on a base instinct to protect herself; she didn't know that the two she tried to harm had such important ties to the Gem that had saved her and so many others in the past. Finally managing to find her words, Sasha said "I...I'm sorry, Roman."

"Don't apologize to me. Save it for the two that you drove off," Roman said. Seeing the genuinely sorry look on Sasha's face, Roman rested a hand on the shorter Gem's head. Ruffling her hair a bit, Roman grinned a bit at the light laugh he got from the magenta-haired Gem. "Just relax. As long as you talk to them and hear them out, they'll forgive you. Just you wait."

"I hope you're right about that, Roman. I sure hope you're right," Sasha began to hope with every fiber of her being.

...

Walking around town in her search of Dean, Bayley was beginning to feel a bit frustrated that she couldn't find the sandy blonde anywhere.

 _'Come on, Dean. Where are you?'_ The brunette had almost given up her search when she heard curious murmuring coming from the direction of one of the restaurants. "I wonder..." Bayley mused before taking off to find the source of the noise. Following along, Bayley was rewarded with the object of her search, said object currently eating his way through what looked like his third plate of chicken wings, much to the surprise of some of the people sitting around him. Walking over to join Dean, Bayley said "Um, I think you oughta slow down a bit there, Dean. You wouldn't want to accidentally bite one of your fingers, would you?"

Looking over to see Bayley standing next to his table, a concerned look on her face, Dean let out a short laugh before gesturing to one of the empty chairs next to him. "You don't have to worry about me there, runt. I've managed to keep all of my fingers through my eating binges, so it's all good." Once Bayley sat down in one of the empty chairs, Dean said "I'm guessing things have calmed down at the house."

"I think they have. Sasha seemed to be pretty calm when I left and Ro was still there with her," Bayley said. Sasha still on her mind, Bayley ventured to ask "Hey, Dean?"

"Mmm? What is it?" Dean asked as he picked up a new piece of chicken.

"Wh...why was Sasha being so mean to you back home? I mean, I heard the story and sorta have an idea of why, but...why would she even behave the way she was? You apologized and everything for breaking her Gem, so shouldn't everything be okay between you both?" Bayley asked.

This round of questioning from the younger brunette seemed to stop Dean in his tracks as he dropped his food back onto the plate, a heavy sigh escaping him. "Bayley. I'm not sure you fully understand it, but...breaking another Gem's Gem... That's something that's considered a huge form of disrespect. Sort of in a way, it's like saying "You'll never be better than me. And this should be a reminder of why"." Picking up a napkin, Dean wiped his mouth and hands before continuing his Bayley-safe version of his story. "It's like I said back at the house, I got carried away in the fight I had with Sasha where I cracked her Gem. But... It was only because...I wanted to impress them."

"Impress who? Seth, Ro, and Sasha?" Bayley asked.

"Yeah," Dean nodded. "I was the last to join their group and I just wanted to show them that I belonged. I guess what I did wasn't the best way to do so."

"But...I don't get it. From what I've seen of you, you're a pretty good fighter, so...why try so hard to impress them?" Bayley wondered.

"I don't know. Like I said, I was new to the group, and I just wanted to show them that it wasn't a mistake that they let me join them. I didn't count on butting heads with Sasha as much as I did, but...it all happened. And, damn, do I regret what I did." Dean scrubbed a hand down his face.

"I can see that, Dean." Rising from her seat, Bayley walked over to the sandy blonde Gem and gave him a hug. Tightening her hold just a bit, Bayley said "Dean, I know you didn't mean to hurt Sasha like you did. You got carried away, and...that's something that can happen to the best of us. I just hope Sasha'll hear you out and let you help her try to fix her Gem. Just don't worry about all of this."

In between Bayley's tight hug and her reassuring words, Dean was actually starting to feel a bit better. While he was still somewhat reeling from having to encounter a face from a darker part of his past, having actually confronted Sasha and letting her know that he could help her made Dean feel a bit better; throw in his favorite ponytailed runt giving him a hug and reassuring him in all of the craziness that had happened in the day, and Dean felt it in him enough to go back home and try to fully bury the hatchet with Sasha. Grinning as he patted Bayley's arm, Dean said "You're such a big help, you know that? Thanks, Bayley."

"I know. And, you're welcome. It's the least I could do to help a friend out when they need it," Bayley smiled. Pulling away from the sandy blonde, Bayley asked "So, you ready to head back home? That is...if you're done eating."

"Yeah, I reckon we should be heading back. Best I go ahead and try to make things up with Sasha before it gets too late. Just let me pay for my food and get a to-go box for this. Besides, I still gotta help you find something you can take to school for your big assignment." Dean stood from the table to go to the paying counter to pay for his orders of wings and get a to-go container. Coming and dumping his wings into the plate, Dean said "OK. _Now_ , we can head back home."

"OK!" Bayley chirped as she bounced up out of her seat. Walking along with Dean, Bayley talked with the sandy blonde Gem and was feeling happy to see Dean was feeling better. She could only hope that his good mood would last after they got back home and the two Gems could have their talk.

Heading up the hill and up the steps to the house, the duo headed inside to find Roman, Sasha, and Seth sitting on the chairs with Seth talking to Sasha.

"And, you say this thing is called a _T.V._?" Sasha asked, staring ahead at the television that was currently playing an episode of a cartoon where a rabbit and a duck were trying to outsmart a hunter.

"Yep. What you can do is watch what are called T.V. shows and movies on it. It's one of Bayley's favorite things to do when she isn't busy with school and other stuff," Seth explained. "Maybe, if you want, she can help get you into some of the stuff she likes to watch."

"I wouldn't mind doing that. I'm sure Sasha would like some of the stuff I like to watch," Bayley blurted, drawing the attention of everyone that was sitting. Feeling her cheeks heat a bit, Bayley ducked her head a bit and said "Sorry."

"It's okay, Bayley," Seth reassured the ponytailed brunette. "It's just good to hear that you want to help Sasha learn about the TV."

"It's no big deal. Just...something I can do to help out," Bayley smiled and shrugged her shoulders a bit. Looking over to Dean, Bayley gave the sandy blonde a nudge in the side.

Feeling Bayley's nudge, Dean let out a short laugh before saying "Hey, Sasha. Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Um, sure, Dean. What is it?" Sasha asked as she rose from her seat and walked over to the duo.

"I, uh... I want to, y'know, apologize for all of what happened earlier. I honestly wasn't expecting you to form yourself back after Bayley and her friend Sami accidentally popped you out of the brooch Nattie put you in. And, then there was our little fight and having to revisit our pasts-" However, Dean found himself stopped by Sasha raising a hand.

"Dean. No. If anything, I feel like it should be _me_ that's apologizing here. I attacked you, and then I poked at how stuff was between us in the past. It was pretty bad of me to do, and...I'm sorry. If you can find it in yourself to forgive me, I'd like to maybe make up and start anew between us," Sasha held her hand out.

"I'd like that, Sasha. I'd like that a lot," Dean smiled as he took and shook the magenta-haired Gem's hand.

Taking her hand out of Dean's, Sasha extended it towards Bayley next. "Same goes for you, Bayley. I'm sorry that I might've scared you and your friend. I hope we can patch things up and start over."

While her natural instincts were saying to give Sasha a hug, Bayley instead took hold of Sasha's hand and gave it a shake. "Thanks, Sasha. I hope we can make up, too. I'm sure you're a very nice person, so I hope we can become friends."

Smiling at the sight before him, with Seth and Roman sharing smiles of their own, Dean then cleared his throat as he remembered something he told Bayley earlier. "Um, Bayley. I was gonna help you with your homework, remember?"

"Oh, yeah!" Bayley suddenly remembered herself. Taking her hand out of Sasha's, Bayley said "Maybe later I can show you one of my favorite shows on TV. I'm sure you might like it."

"I'd like that," Sasha smiled a bit. Watching as Bayley left with Dean, the magenta-haired Gem thought _'That actually went better than I thought it would. I guess now the big test going forward will be doing what I can to be as much of a help as I can here.'_

...

Standing outside of the room Dean was currently looking around in, Bayley twiddled her thumbs as she waited for what the sandy blonde would bring out for her. While she had a feeling that what Dean would bring out this time would be good for her to take to school, she was still feeling a bit nervous. After what all just happened with Sasha forming herself after being popped out of the brooch that was holding her, Bayley didn't want to run the risk of getting another piece of jewerly that had a Gem like her and the others in it.

A few minutes more had gone by before Dean finally came out with what he found for Bayley. Closing the door behind him, Dean held out what he found for the brunette. "Here you go. It took some hunting around, but I think I found just the thing for you."

Taking what Dean found for her and looking at it, Bayley let out a gasp of surprise. "Wow, Dean. This looks great. I can't wait to take this to school. Hopefully, Mr. Regal will be okay with me presenting this. Thanks so much." At this point, Bayley had wrapped her arms around Dean in a hug.

Returning Bayley's hug in his own way, Dean smiled. "You're welcome. Now, come on. I think it's about time we go and get you some dinner made."

"OK!" Bayley chirped as she fell into step beside the sandy blonde. Looking back down at what it was that Dean found, Bayley silently hoped that this would be okay to present to her class. _'This has to be okay. After all, I'm sure once Mr. Regal sees it, he'll have to okay it.'_

 **So, it looks like on both sides, explanations were given and apologies were given out. And, it's a good thing too. Wouldn't want our Gems all fighting each other, would we? Sasha seems to have a better understanding of just how important Dean and Bayley are, Bayley has a better grasp of just what all happened between Dean and Sasha, and Dean's made up with Sasha. Now, it'll be interesting to see just how it is that they all grow together...especially with Sasha getting some lessons in human technology from Bayley, like with the TV (something I might include a bit in a future chapter in a future arc). And, another great thing to come out of all of this = Bayley seems to finally have something that she can take to school for her assignment for Mr. Regal's class. Want to know what it is? Stay tuned until next time to find out, and don't forget to R &R please. =)  
**

 **(Now, this is just a quick question from me to all of you guys: Given that I actually went a bit into just who Natalya is (or, rather, _was_ ), would you guys maybe want to see a bit more of her in the story (maybe in a flashback, perhaps)? I only ask because of details I laid out about her, one being that (in a weird way) she's Bayley's mom (again, if the idea is weird, I apologize...it just came to me, and I felt like it worked in the story (u_u")). If you guys do or don't, just let me know and I'll plan ahead as far as where I take the next arc of the story.)**

 **(One last thing *le shiki94 promotion of a friend's work goes here*: One of my good friends here, StarshineGoomba, is working her way back into writing after some personal stuff sidelined her from writing for a spell. She just recently updated one of her stories, Bad Things, and I recommend you go give it a try if you want something good featuring our adorable cinnamon rolls Bayley and Sami Zayn together in it. =) )**


	24. A New Gem (Part 6)

**So, after all of the tension from the past two chapters of this arc, how's about some nice fluff to end out the 'A New Gem' arc of this story? Ready to find out what it was that Dean got for Bayley to take to school for her presentation? Read on to find out, my loves, and enjoy. =)**

Making sure she had everything in her backpack before leaving for school, Bayley made sure the last thing she put in her bag was what she was going to take to school for Mr. Regal's class. Taking one last look at the object, Bayley nodded at it. _'This_ has _to be okay for me to take in. It's something important to Dean and the others, so_ -'

"Oh! Morning, Bayley. Didn't think I'd catch you before you went to school," Sasha's voice cut into Bayley's thinking.

Jumping in place a bit, Bayley turned to the magenta-haired Gem, who was sitting on one of the stools around the kitchen island reading a book. "Morning, Sasha. I wasn't expecting to see you in here."

"I was feeling a bit restless, so I decided to come and read one of your books," Sasha held up a book with a black cover that had a picture of a girl holding a candle. "I have to say, Bayley. I never thought you'd be into something like this."

"Well, Coraline's one of my favorite books to read around Halloween. It's so spooky that it just fits that time of year pretty well," Bayley shrugged.

"Halloween?" Sasha asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. While Sasha had been in creation for a good number of years now, there were still some things about humans that she didn't quite understand.

"Wait. You don't know what Halloween is?" Bayley asked, surprised to hear this. "I'll have to tell you about it some time. Halloween's one of my favorite holidays of the year, and I'm sure you'd probably like to celebrate it."

"I'd like that," Sasha said, just as knocking could be heard at the front door.

"Oh! That's probably Sami. I should probably let him in," Bayley said. Stashing what she was taking to school in her backpack, Bayley headed over to and opened the door. "Morning, Sami!" Bayley greeted her friend with a smile.

"Morning, Bayley," Sami returned her smile. "Are you ready to head to sch-" The redhead soon found himself stopped in his tracks when he saw Sasha. Moving to stand behind Bayley, Sami scaredly pointed "Bayley! It's-it's that girl from yesterday!"

"Yeah. Sami, that's Sasha. Don't worry, she's not gonna hurt us," Bayley tried to calm her friend down.

"I'm not sure I can believe that after she _tried to attack the both of us yesterday!_ " Sami almost shouted.

"I should...I should probably apologize for that," Sasha slid off of the stool as she put Bayley's book down. "You'll have to forgive me for my behavior yesterday, one called Sami. I wasn't really myself when I formed back into myself, and...I was harboring some anger towards Dean, as you and Bayley saw. If I scared you any yesterday, I'd like to apologize, and...like with Bayley, I'd like to be friends." And, to show that she was being genuine, Sasha held out her hand to Sami.

At first, Sami couldn't help but flinch away from Sasha's hand, lest he end up getting hurt by her in some way. But, upon seeing that it appeared to be a genuine handshake, Sami took and shook Sasha's hand. "OK, Sasha. I'd like to try to be your friend, too. ...Although, when it comes to talking to me, you can drop the "one called" stuff. It's just Sami, OK?"

"OK, one-Sami," Sasha smiled as she shook Sami's hand.

Smiling at the fact that one of her best friends and her new friend were starting to build trust in each other, Bayley was almost set to say something when a look at the clock showed that she and Sami only had a couple of minutes to get to school on time. "I'd hate to cut your handshake short, but we have to get to school soon, Sami. We don't want to be late."

"Right, right!" Sami shook his head. Taking his hand out of Sasha's, Sami said "I'll see you later, Sasha. I hope I can come visit you again."

"OK. You two have a good day at school," Sasha waved the two teens off. Heading back to her seat as she picked up Bayley's book and continued where she left off reading. The magenta-haired Gem was feeling proud of herself that she was doing more in the way of making up with those she had hurt during the small window of time she had been back in a stable form. Now all she had to was work on building trust in everyone again. Which, she hoped wouldn't be _too_ hard for her to do.

...

Sitting in Mr. Regal's class, Bayley kept threading and unthreading her fingers together as she sat in wait of when she'd have to present what she brought in to present. It still surprised her greatly that Mr. Regal allowed what she brought in as she was thinking it was something that wasn't going to be okay to present; but after getting the greenlight from her teacher, Bayley felt an immense wave of relief wash over her.

"Thank you for that...rather informative presentation, Mr. Amore. I'm sure your family members would love the way you talked about their..."bling" in class," Mr. Regal offered up as positive remarks to a grinning boy with an impressive crop of light blonde hair. "And now, for our last presentation from Ms. Bayley Martinez. Bayley, would you like to come and present what you've brought in?"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Bayley nervously chirped. Swallowing a sudden dry lump in the back of her throat, Bayley stood from her seat with her presentation piece in hand and proceeded to make her way to the front of the classroom.

Seeing Bayley now standing at the front of the class, Mr. Regal said "Whenever you're ready, Bayley, you may begin."

"O-OK, Mr. Regal," Bayley nodded. Taking one last breath in before letting it out, Bayley held up what she had brought in to school as she began her presentation. "This is something that's been in my family for a number of years. I-It's called an ocarina. It's a musical instrument that belonged to someone my dad and my uncles said helped raise them when they were younger. Ever since she passed the instrument down to them, they've kept in good condition so as not to break it or anything. And, if I could play it, I'm sure it'd make some really pretty music. And...that about wraps up my presentation. Thanks for listening, everyone."

Seeing that the brunette was done with her presentation, Mr. Regal said "That was a very good presentation, Ms. Martinez. I did find it quite interesting that what you brought in is as close to a genuine ocarina as most people could find, especially since it's in such good condition. You did very well with your presentation, Bayley."

"Wow. Th-thank you, Mr. Regal," Bayley smiled a bit as she felt her cheeks start to warm slightly.

"You're very welcome, dear," Mr. Regal said with a smile of his own. After Bayley took her seat, Mr. Regal stood from his as he went back to the front of the class. "OK, students. I would like to take the time to say that all of you did very well with your presentations. You should all be very proud of what you've done to honor the family legacies that surround what you all brought in to share with the class. So, at this time, I'd like you all to give yourselves a round of applause." As the students clapped for themselves and their peers with some throwing in a cheer here and there, the bell rang to signal that it was the end of the day. Watching as his class all stood and began to file out of the room, Mr. Regal made sure to say "Now, don't forget to come in tomorrow ready to leap into our next lesson, children."

Walking along with Sami and Finn, and then being joined by Becky and Paige as they headed outside, Bayley looked down at the ocarina that she was still holding in her hands. There was something about how the smooth pink ceramic instrument in her hand looked that felt...oddly familiar, almost as if she had seen it somewhere before. _'Ehh, its probably just some kind of weird déjà vu-y feeling that I'm having. It's probably nothing,'_ Bayley thought as she went back to talking with her friends. After the success of her big presentation, Bayley was just excited to tell Dean and the others how it went, as she was feeling a bit proud of herself for being able to represent herself and her fellow Gems in front of some of the humans they had sworn to protect.

 **Aww, Bayley did so well with her presentation to the class of her "family's" ocarina. Still not sure why I went with an ocarina, but I think it was a pretty good idea...even more so since it would appear as though something about the ocarina strikes Bayley as pretty familiar. *shrugs* Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, it _is_ something that's familiar to Bayley. And...maybe she'll find out more about it in the future. *insert mischievous grin here***

 **And, with this chapter ends the 'A New Gem' arc of Bayley's Universe. I really did have a lot of fun with writing this as I was able to bring in some backstory building that I hope you guys all enjoyed reading, and I was able to introduce another mainstay character to the story in Sasha, who seems to be rebuilding bridges with the others and taking to learning about some of the human stuff Bayley likes pretty well (after all, it _is_ pretty dang cute to think of her as being a bit of a bookworm). Maybe with us now being in the holiday and Christmas season, I can make my next arc holiday-oriented. After all, since I've hit a bit of a wall with the other Christmas thing I was working on, maybe by working on something Christmas-y here, I could maybe get my wheels spinning for that other story (even though it's two different genres entirely). *le shiki shrug* I'll see... *clears throat* Pardon my rambling, everyone. ^^, Anyways, I hope you all have enjoyed the 'A New Gem' arc. Don't forget to R &R please, and I'll see you all in my festive holiday arc of this story. =)**

 **(One last thing *le shiki94 promotion of a friend's work goes here*: One of my good friends here, StarshineGoomba, is working her way back into writing after some personal stuff sidelined her from writing for a spell. She just recently updated one of her stories, Bad Things, and I recommend you go give it a try if you want something good featuring our adorable cinnamon rolls Bayley and Sami Zayn together in it. =) )**


	25. Christmas With The Gems (Part 1)

**So, as I promised, here's my festive, holiday-themed arc of Bayley's Universe I am titling 'Christmas With the Gems'. Curious to find out just what Christmas with our Gems is like? Read on to find out, my loves. =)**

Sitting on one of the stools surrounding the kitchen island, Sasha couldn't help but find herself curious about why Bayley, Dean, Seth, and Roman were hanging balls and other shapes on a fairly tall pine tree. When she saw Dean come in the house with the tree earlier that day and saw Bayley get pretty excited about it, the magenta-haired Gem wasn't quite sure what to make of all of this; throw in the other Gems decorating the chopped down fir now, and Sasha just wanted to know why they were doing this. _'This is obviously a human custom that I don't know of,'_ Sasha thought. _'I just don't know why Dean, Roman, and Seth are doing this with Bayley.'_

Looking over to see Sasha staring, a look of curiosity quite apparent on the Gem's face, Bayley asked "Sasha? What's up? Something on your mind?"

"I, um, I'm just trying to figure out what it is that you four are doing. Why are you hanging things on that tree?" Sasha asked.

"Well, because it's almost Christmas. It's another one of my favorite holidays in the year to celebrate," Bayley smiled.

"Christ...mas?" Sasha asked, a splash of not knowing getting added into her curiosity.

"Wait. You don't know what Christmas is, either?" Bayley asked, surprised to hear this. The ponytailed brunette already knew that Sasha didn't have the firmest understanding of human customs, so to hear her sound confused about Christmas just seemed a bit weird. "But, wait. You've been alive for as long as the guys have, haven't you? How do you not know about it?"

"Well, it might be because I spent a lot of my time around in a brooch. Other than that, I've never really had contact enough with humans to really learn about many of their customs," Sasha said.

Turning to look at the other Gems, Bayley asked "Guys? Is this true?"

"For the most part, yes it is," Seth nodded. "You see, Bayley. While Sasha has been around for as long as the rest of us, she never really had much of an interest in wanting to interact with humans. Even though we're their protectors, Sasha never really interacted with them. So, it's because of this, Sasha has a bit of an inherent distrust of humans. But, now that she's back in her human form, she wants to try to work on getting to know humans."

"And, who knows?" Dean said as he hung a few balls on the tree's limbs. "Maybe that'll mean you can help with teaching her some of your favorite human things to do, Bayley."

"I think I'd like to try that, Dean," Bayley smiled. Turning back to Sasha, Bayley asked "So, what do you say, Sasha? You want to celebrate your first Christmas with me and the guys?"

"Um, sure, I suppose," Sasha offered a slightly nervous smile to the ponytailed brunette. Sliding off of the stool, Sasha walked over to join her fellow Gems at the tree. "So, how do humans typically celebrate Christmas?"

"Well, for starters, we usually decorate one of these." Gesturing to the tree next to her, Bayley said "This is called a Christmas tree, and we usually decorate it with stuff like lights and ornaments and something to go at the top of the tree."

"Huh. That's rather interesting," Sasha looked up at the partially decorated tree. "It's pretty different that humans actually do things like this."

"It is, I guess. It's also pretty fun. You want to try helping with the decorating?" Bayley held the box of ornaments she had out to Sasha and said "Here. Take an ornament or two and hang them wherever you want on the tree."

"Um, OK," Sasha nodded. Reaching into the box, Sasha pulled out to ball-shaped ornaments, one a light purple and the other pink. Walking over to the tree, Sasha proceeded to hang the ornaments on two limbs that were right next to each other. "I...don't see the fun here just yet."

"Well, you don't really feel the fun of tree decorating just yet. It usually takes hanging a few more ornaments on the tree for the fun of Christmas to start," Bayley smiled. "Just don't try to rush it. I'm sure you'll come to really like Christmas."

"I'm sure I will," Sasha offered up another slightly nervous smile while the main thought that seemed to flow through her mind was _'At the very least, I hope I will come to like this holiday'_ as she continued to help her fellow Gems with the tree decorating.

 **And, with this begins my Christmas arc of Bayley's Universe. I feel that this is going to be an interesting take on something holiday-oriented as I'm writing about both celebrating and helping someone celebrate their own first Christmas. So far, Sasha doesn't seem all that enthused with the jolly holiday, but all she's done is help decorate the tree. Hopefully, Bayley will get to show the magenta-haired cinnamon roll just why she loves Christmas so much. We'll get to see more of how Bayley and the Gems celebrate Christmas next time, so until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(And, I'm sorry for such a short start. It honestly seemed like I was typing a lot more than I was, but I guess that's just the weird powers of one's own perception at work. ^^, )**


	26. Christmas With The Gems (Part 2)

**Hmm... Looks like the tree decorating didn't go too well last chapter. Maybe what Bayley has in store next will help Sasha start to get in the Christmas spirit. And, just what is it that our favorite ponytailed cinnamon roll has in store for Sasha? Read on to find out, my loves. =)**

After having decorated the Christmas tree with Sasha and the others, Bayley noticed that the magenta-haired Gem didn't quite seem to be onboard with the Christmas festivities Bayley, Dean, Seth, and Roman usually observed. _'Maybe I just haven't really done anything yet that Sasha would like. It's just...I don't even know_ what _Sasha would like to do for Christmas. This is her first, and I want to make it a special one for her,'_ Bayley thought as she sat on the staircase that led up to her "bedroom".

Seeing Bayley in such a deep state of focus had Seth, Dean, and Roman feeling a bit concerned for the ponytailed brunette. They knew that Bayley was making it her own personal mission to introduce the Christmas holiday to Sasha, but, so far, they could tell that Bayley had pretty much hit a wall in her attempt to do so. Seth was almost set to call over to the brunette when he saw a gumdrop fly in Bayley's direction and hit her on the forehead.

"Huh?! Wha-what is it? Do you guys need me for something?" Bayley blinked out of her thinking and looked over to the older Gems.

Looking over to an innocently grinning Dean and a snickering Roman, Seth said "Not cool, you two." Turning back to look at Bayley, Seth said "You'll have to forgive Dean and Roman. Apparently, they think it's funny to fling our gingerbread house decorations around like their little toys."

"Hey, you wanted Bayley to snap out of her thinking bubble. Well, now she is," Dean's grin only seemed to grow a bit after he said this.

"You guys saw me like that?" Bayley asked. Seeing the trio nod, Bayley moaned "Oh, man."

"Bayley, if you're worried about something, you know can tell us," Roman assured the brunette. "Whatever's on your mind, just talk to us about it."

Feeling a bit hesitant at first to tell Roman about what was bothering her, Bayley saw the looks of reassurance on the older Gems's faces and knew that she could tell them what was on her mind. "OK. I'm sure that you guys maybe pieced it together, but...I'm not sure what to do about trying to introduce celebrating Christmas to Sasha. I've thought maybe helping decorate the Christmas tree would help, but I guess not."

"Well, Bayley, it's only been that one thing you've tried so far. There's all the other stuff that we normally do that you haven't tried yet. Like, building the gingerbread house, for starters," Dean said, around a mouth of gumdrops.

"And, something that I feel should be a Christmas tradition should be stopping Dean from eating almost all of our gingerbread house supplies," Seth said as he delivered a firm punch to Dean's arm.

"Yeah, that is true. After all, I haven't told her about us wearing Christmas sweaters just yet," Bayley felt a grin start to cross her face.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure Sash would love wearing a dorky Christmas sweater with us," Dean's grin turned a bit mischievous.

"Great! I guess that means we should take a trip to the mall," Bayley hopped up from the steps as she went over to the coatrack and got her pink hoodie that had a pair of cat ears sewn to the hood. "Can one of you guys go find Sasha and ask if she wants to come with us?"

"Come with you all where, Bayley?" Sasha asked as she came from the direction of the bathroom.

"If you wanted to come with me and the guys to the mall," Bayley answered. "I know you've never heard of what a mall is, but something else Christmas-related is there that I want you to come with us and see. Plus, this could give you a good chance to interact with some other humans a bit."

"Um, okay," Sasha said before asking "You four aren't going to abandon me at this...mall, are you?"

"Of course not!" Bayley shook her head, her ponytail whipping back and forth. "We're all Gems. That means that, no matter what, we all stick together with each other."

Hearing Bayley talk about the Gems and including her in that collective had Sasha feeling what she would later describe as being all warm inside. A smile starting to spread across her face, Sasha said "Thank you, Bayley. OK, then. Let's...go to the mall."

"OK!" Bayley excitedly chirped, feeling happy that it seemed like another part of her "Get Sasha in the Christmas Spirit" plan was starting pretty well.

...

Standing around in the clothing store in the mall as Bayley and the other three Gems tried on different sweaters, Sasha found herself amazed by the fact that her fellow Gems seemed to be having so much fun just trying the garments on. _'And I thought decorating a tree was strange. This is...fairly odd,'_ Sasha thought. ...Although, part of her could admit that some of the sweaters they were wearing looked fairly nice.

Seeing Sasha watching them with that same look of curiosity that she had when they were decorating the tree earlier, Bayley asked "You want to try a sweater on, Sasha? I think I might have one or two that you might like."

"Really? You want me to try on one of those woolen garments?" Sasha asked, feeling a bit surprised that it was her turn so soon to participate.

"Of course!" Bayley chirped with a smile. "I know that this all might seem weird to you; after all, me and the guys are just getting excited about clothes. But, I think you might like this. Besides, it's not really much fun doing something like this if everyone isn't participating."

"O-OK," Sasha nodded before letting herself get pulled by the hand by Bayley back to the dressing room where she had been.

Closing the door behind her, Bayley began to rifle through the pile of sweaters she hadn't tried on yet until she found the one she hadn't tried on yet. "Here. Why don't you try this one on?"

"OK," Sasha took the garment from Bayley. Seeing the brunette still looking at her, Sasha asked "Um, Bayley. Can I have a bit of privacy?"

"Oh, sure!" Bayley said before turning around so that she was facing the closed door.

With Bayley's watchful gaze off of her, Sasha looked down at the sweater that was in her hands: It was a soft blue color that had lines of snowflakes going across the top and hem of the sweater with a line of smiling snowmen going across the stomach of it. _'I will admit. This_ does _look pretty cute,'_ Sasha thought before pulling it on. After managing to get the sweater on her right, Sasha said "OK. You can look now."

Turning around, Bayley saw Sasha in the sweater she gave her and the first thing she could say was "Wow, Sasha. That looks pretty cute on you."

"Really? You think so?" Sasha asked as she blushed a bit and pulled the hem of the sweater down a bit.

"Of course!" Bayley chirped with a smile. "I never would've thought that blue would look so nice on you, but it does. Do you like the sweater?"

"I...Actually, I do," Sasha said, turning around and seeing herself in the mirror. Seeing her reflection, Sasha couldn't help the smile that split her face of its own accord. "Wow. I really do look cute in this."

Smiling a secretive smile, Bayley fist pumped in victory that it seemed like taking Sasha on her Christmas sweater shopping trip was a success. It was making Bayley feel good that, so far, it seemed like the hunt for Christmas sweaters was something the magenta-haired Gem took a liking to. _'Operation: Christmas Sweater Hunt was a success. Now for the next part of my plan. But, first, we should definitely pay for these sweaters before we head back home,'_ Bayley thought before working at pulling off the red sweater that had a design of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all wearing Santa hats surrounded by snowflakes, putting her hoodie back on, and leaving out of the dressing room with Sasha to join back up with the other Gems.

 **Shopping for festive Christmas sweaters. Is there nothing more Christmas-y that one could do? And, it seems like this part of Bayley's plan worked as Sasha actually seemed to like getting a Christmas sweater (and a quite cute one, at that). After this success, Bayley's feeling ready to go forward with her grand plan with the next step when they get back home. Just what is this next step? Stay tuned to find out. Until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	27. Christmas With The Gems (Part 3)

**So, what's coming next in Bayley's plan to help introduce and get Sasha into the Christmas spirit? Read on to find out, my loves. =)**

Watching as Sasha pulled on the sleeves of her sweater, Bayley still couldn't believe that shopping for Christmas sweaters was something the magenta-haired Gem came to like. The brunette surely felt Sasha was just going to dismiss it as some silly human activity, so to see that the magenta-haired Gem seemed to enjoy the shopping and her purchase was making Bayley feel a bit of pride that part of her plan was starting to work.

 _'And now, we go to the next step,'_ Bayley thought. Calling over to Sasha, Bayley asked "Hey, Sasha?"

"Yes? What is it, Bayley?" Sasha asked, looking up from her sweater sleeves.

"I was wondering if, maybe, you'd want to watch some Christmas stuff with me on TV?" Bayley pointed over to the glowing box. "A lot of really cute and funny stuff tends to come on around this time of year, so I think you might like some of it."

"Uh, sure," Sasha shrugged her shoulders a bit. "I've been curious about this device since Seth showed me that program with the talking rabbit and duck outwitting the hunter that talked funny. It was pretty cute."

Feeling a bit confused about what show Sasha was talking about at first, Bayley then recognized the show. "Oh, yeah! Looney Tunes is pretty funny. Maybe some other time, I can show you some other stuff I like to watch."

"That sounds fun, actually," Sasha smiled.

"Great!" Bayley chirped as she and Sasha walked over to the couch that sat across from the TV. Grabbing the remote from the table that sat midway between the couch and the TV, the brunette sat down with the magenta-haired Gem following suit. Beginning to flip her way through the channels, Bayley soon stopped at a cartoon that started off with a pirate talking about what was going to happen in the episode. "Ooh, let's watch this! This is one of my favorite shows!"

"And, just what is this show that we're about to watch?" Sasha asked. "Judging from the art style, it doesn't look like Looney Tunes."

"It's called SpongeBob SquarePants, and it's really funny. This is one of the Christmas episodes the show has, and I think this'll be a good one for you to watch since it's about the characters celebrating their first Christmas," Bayley said before, with a smile, adding "Just like you."

"Yeah. I guess so," Sasha laughed a bit as she settled in to watch the Christmas program with Bayley.

The watch of the SpongeBob Christmas special went fairly well between the two Gems. Save for when Sasha pointed out what she saw as "scientific inaccuracies"-such as "Doesn't it seem highly impossible that electrical devices would work underwater? The minute he plugged those lights around the squid's house in, they surely would've short circuited and possibly electrocuted him, his star friend, and a good number of the other fish."-Bayley could tell that the magenta-haired Gem was enjoying the show quite a bit, evidenced by her laughing at some parts and nodding her head along to one of the songs in the show.

"Well, now. Looks like two cute little runts are enjoying some Christmas shows," Dean said, smiling as he walked over to where Bayley and Sasha were sitting.

"Mmhmm! I think Sasha's really liking SpongeBob," Bayley smiled.

"What? The talking sponge and his friends are all pretty funny," Sasha laughed a bit. "I especially like the starfish. He's really funny."

"Yeah, Patrick is pretty funny," Bayley said. "You should see him in some of the other episodes of this show. I'll even watch more of the show with you."

"That sounds good to me," Sasha smiled.

As he watched Bayley and Sasha talking with each other, Dean couldn't help the smile that seemed to cross his face. After Bayley made it her own personal mission of sorts to help introduce Sasha to the Christmas holiday and the traditions they had, Dean, Seth, and Roman were feeling a bit nervous that things wouldn't exactly go that well; so seeing the girls together now was making the sandy blonde feel happy that things seemed to be going along with whatever plans Bayley had. While Dean wanted to leave the two to their chatting, he remembered why it was that he had went over to the couch in the first place. "You know, girls. I hate to interrupt, but Seth and Roman just got done making cookies and hot chocolate. Just in case you two might want some."

"Ooh, sweet!" Bayley smiled widely. "Let's go get some, Sasha. Seth and Ro make the best cookies and hot chocolate."

"OK," Sasha said as she rose from the couch with Bayley and headed over to the kitchen where she took a seat beside Bayley around the island, figuring that what she was about to partake in were treats Bayley and the others usually had during this holiday.

"So nice to see you join us, Sasha," Seth smiled. "Let me fix you a cup of hot chocolate. I have a feeling you might like it."

"I hope so," Sasha said. As Seth got two mugs-one blue that had snowmen on the cup and a pink one that had snowflakes on it-and poured what looked to be a brown liquid into the cups, Sasha asked "So, just what is this hot chocolate? How does it taste?"

"Umm... Well..." Bayley thought before launching into her explanation. "Well, I guess I could say that it tastes pretty sweet. It tastes just like chocolate, except you can drink it. And, I usually get stuff added to mine, like whipped cream."

"And that makes it taste better?" Sasha asked. Seeing Bayley nod her head, Sasha looked to Seth and said "I...suppose you can make my cup like you make Bayley's, Seth."

"OK," Seth nodded as he grabbed a can of whipped cream and sprayed some into both mugs before setting them down in front of the girls. This was followed by Roman putting some double chocolate chocolate chip cookies on a plate and setting the plate in front of the duo.

"Oh my gosh, this looks so good," Bayley said before reaching for the pink mug and, blowing on the hot liquid, taking a sip of the liquid inside. "Mmm! So good!"

Seeing Bayley have such a reaction to drinking what was in the mug, Sasha decided to reach for the blue mug and take a sip for herself. Seeing as how she was a Gem and Gems didn't normally need to eat or drink to survive-even though they could if they wanted-Sasha was curious about the drink Bayley and the others were drinking. Following Bayley's suit, Sasha blew on the liquid before taking a sip herself. Pulling the mug away, Sasha said "Wow. This...actually tastes pretty good."

"I told you, didn't I?" Bayley grinned. "Try one of the cookies. I think you'll like them, too."

"OK." Reaching for the plated cookies, Sasha took one and took a bite out of the chocolate treat. Really savoring the taste, Sasha said "This is pretty good, too. It tastes a lot like the hot chocolate."

"That's because they're both basically chocolate. Just...think of the two as chocolate in different forms," Bayley explained.

Nodding, Sasha finished the cookie she had before reaching for another one and taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

Watching as Sasha seemed to enjoy her hot chocolate and the cookies Seth and Roman made, Bayley let another smile cross her face as she enjoyed her own drink and some cookies for herself. The ponytailed brunette was feeling even happier about the fact that her plan to introduce Christmas to Sasha was still going so well. From the cartoon the two watched earlier to the treats they were now enjoying with the other three Gems-Dean having eaten most of the cookies and Roman having to bake another batch-Bayley was feeling so happy about the fact that not only was she helping Sasha celebrate her first Christmas, but she was also celebrating Christmas with a new addition to her family. _'And with Sasha really onboard now, there's only a few more things left on our list of Christmas traditions before Christmas is actually here. I can't wait to share them all with her!'_

 **So, we have watching holiday-themed TV specials, eating cookies, and drinking hot chocolate done. Sure looks like Bayley's doing just fine at introducing some of her favorite Christmas-y things to Sasha, and Sasha really seems to be liking them (After all, how could one resist the SpongeBob Christmas special, hot chocolate, and double chocolate chocolate chip cookies?). With the success of having introduced so many of her favorite and quite beloved Christmas traditions to Sasha and the magenta-haired cinnamon roll taking a liking to them, what's next on Bayley's list of Christmas traditions? That...you'll have to stay tuned for. So, until next time, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(Just a friendly heads-up here. With the next chapter, I'm thinking about maybe trying to take a bit of a drabble-y approach where I have the last of the Gems's Christmas traditions separated into sections and I save what's done on Christmas Day for the last chapter of this arc. So, I hope that when the next chapter is released, I hope you guys will like it. =) )**


	28. Christmas With The Gems (Part 4)

**Merry Day After Christmas, everyone! I hope everyone out there had a great day yesterday, and is having a great day after Christmas.**

 **Now, as I promised in the previous chapter, here's what comprises the last of the Christmas holiday traditions that Bayley and the other Gems have. Curious to see what these other traditions are? Read on to find out, my loves. =)**

 **Gingerbread House Building**

"And, we're building a house out of these cookies... _why_ , exactly?" Sasha asked, holding one of the walls for the gingerbread house she was helping build with Bayley and the others. "I thought you were supposed to eat them."

"Well, normally, yes, we do," Bayley said. "But, these cookies here...these are for building gingerbread houses, which is another tradition that we have."

"Just to give you a heads-up, Sasha, this can be a bit of a troublesome task with Dean helping," Seth cut a glare over to Dean, who was camped out in front of some of the candies they were going to use as decorations on the house.

Seeing Sasha tilt her head to the side in confusion, Roman explained. "Usually whenever we build gingerbread houses, we have to deal with Dean eating a lot of the candies that we use to decorate the house. And, usually when that happens, fighting follows."

"Only because Dean can't keep his mitts off the gumdrops and everything else!" Seth cut in.

"Oh, I see," Sasha nodded in understanding. "Should I summon my whip and use to tie Dean up somewhere?"

"I...don't think that'll be necessary," Bayley cut in in the hopes of avoiding fighting in the house. Looking over to Dean, Bayley asked "Dean, can you please not eat any of our candies for the gingerbread house? If you want, I'll go to the store and buy you some later."

Casting a look down at the array of candies-ranging from gumdrops to peppermints to licorice pieces and other sweets-Dean wanted to try to plead for at least _one piece_. But, seeing the look on Bayley's face, the sandy blonde let out a sigh and said " _Fine._ But, just letting you know. I want Skittles and Sour Patch Kids."

"OK," Bayley nodded, feeling relieved that the group dodged a potential fight. Clapping her hands together, Bayley said "OK! Let's get this house built!"

...

 **Shopping For Presents**

"Why didn't we tell Bayley where we were going?" Sasha asked, watching as Seth looked at a selection of toys that ranged from Hello Kitty dolls to plush toys for a series called Hamtaro.

"Because, what me and the others are doing...it's supposed to be a surprise for Bayley," Seth began to explain. "Christmas is usually a time of year where we try to give Bayley what she wants, outside of her birthday. With Christmas, it's like a big celebration of us as a family of sorts."

"A family," Sasha said the word slowly. _'A family is a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household. How exactly can the word "family" apply to Dean, Roman, Seth, and Bayley? They don't really share anything in the way of the same genetic material outside of the gem that lies in Bayley's navel,'_ Sasha thought.

Seeing Sasha in what looked to be deep thought, Seth laughed a bit. "Sasha, I wouldn't think too much about this. And, just to let you know, the word "family" can apply to any group of people that love and care about each other. Meaning our little group of Gem oddities applies there."

Hearing Seth answer questions that were purely _in her own head_ , Sasha was rewarded with an answer in the form of the two-toned Gem tapping the Gem in the middle of his forehead. "Oh, I see. You can read one's thoughts."

"It's not so much me reading thoughts; although, that _is_ an ability I have. I'd say it's more me having a good gauge on one's feelings," Seth said. "It's like I said, Sasha. Don't think too much about this. You're still learning about the ways of the humans, so it's only natural that you don't fully understand most of their ways. Just give it time. I'm sure you'll come around to what it is about the humans that me, Dean, and Roman love so much."

"I sure hope so, Seth," Sasha mumbled as the two-toned Gem went back to looking at the toys. Deciding that she should at least _try_ to adapt the ways of the humans, Sasha followed Seth's suit and decided to look around at some of what was on the store's shelves that she felt Bayley might like. The magenta-haired Gem's search took her away from the toys to an area that was bookshelves covered with an array of books. Sasha was beginning to feel that none of the books here would be to Bayley's liking...until her gaze landed on a complete box set of six volumes of what she learned were graphic novels. _'This might be just perfect for Bayley. OK! This shall be my Christmas present for Bayley,'_ Sasha thought with a nod and an eager smile.

 **OK, yes. I know there's only two more Christmas traditions here, but I didn't want to have a lot of Holly Jolly overload here (even though Christmas _is_ one of my favorite holidays of the year, even _I'll_ admit that some Christmas traditions people have can be quite...bizarre, so I decided to go with two that my own family have). So, I feel that it was just great that I decided to include the two I did. And, it looks like they were traditions that Sasha seems to have taken to, especially in the case of the Christmas shopping. While the whole idea of the Gems observing such human customs is still fairly odd to the magenta-haired cinnamon roll, that doesn't mean that she isn't open to celebrating them...as evidenced by Sasha finding what she feels is the perfect Christmas gift for Bayley. How nice! =D And, just what is this gift, you might be asking? That, and more gifts, shall be revealed in the next (and possibly last...not sure yet) chapter of this arc. Until then, don't forget to R&R please. =) **


	29. Christmas With The Gems (Part 5)

**Happy Almost New Year, everyone! =D With the end of this year, so I bring an end to my festively-themed arc of Bayley's Universe (*fist pumps over having something festive and Christmas-y for people to read written*), Christmas With The Gems. I hope everyone likes this end of the arc and all its cuteness. Enjoy, my loves. =)**

 **(Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for any blood sugar spikes, "Squee!"s, or "D'aawww!"s you may have while reading this. I only write what I feel/know will work in each chapter.)**

It had been quite a ride of Bayley introducing Sasha to a lot of the Christmas traditions that she and the other Gems had to watching Sasha come to grow and actually like a good number of these traditions; and, after it was all really said and done, the brunette was proud of the progress she had made in introducing the magenta-haired Gem to some of the holiday traditions that she held so near and dear to her heart. And with Christmas Day being that day, Bayley was feeling so excited to introduce the last Christmas tradition that she and the other Gems shared.

Before Bayley and the other Gems knew it, Christmas Day had come. While Bayley slept peacefully in her bed, the other Gems were busy at work putting their wrapped presents for the brunette under the Christmas tree and, in Dean's case, eating the cookies and drinking the milk the young brunette had set out for Santa Claus the night before. Even though Sasha was well aware of the fact that this "Santa Claus" was nothing more than a figure of Christmas fables and tales, she didn't question it as Seth explained to her "We just let Bayley believe in Santa Claus so that she can have a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. Besides, it's not really causing anyone any harm." Nodding in understanding, Sasha placed her present for Bayley under the tree with the other presents Dean, Roman, and Seth got for the brunette.

 _'I sure hope Bayley will like this,'_ Sasha thought, casting one last glance at her present before walking away with Seth.

...

Christmas morning had come around, and Bayley was still sleeping peacefully in her bed. It wasn't until she felt a pair of hands shaking her and a voice saying _"Wake up, Bayley! It's Christmas morning!"_ that she almost leapt out of bed. Finally managing to get her bearings right, Bayley looked over and saw a grinning Dean kneeling on the floor next to her bed. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Bayley yawned a bit. "Morning, Dean. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Bayley," Dean smiled at the still sleepy brunette. "You ready to see what Old Saint Nick brought here for you last night?"

"Yeah, I, uh," Bayley yawned before continuing, "I think I am. I can't wait to see what I got this year."

"I think you're gonna like what the jolly old man left you this year," Dean grinned at the brunette as she climbed out of bed.

"I think I will, too," Bayley smiled a sleepy smile up at the now standing sandy blonde Gem. Making her way downstairs with Dean, Bayley soon found herself greeted with the smells of food just finished getting cooked for breakfast and, after a quick glance over at the Christmas tree, a fair number of presents. _'Looks like I got quite a lot of stuff. I can't wait to see what I got from everyone,'_ Bayley thought, an excited smile starting to tug at the corners of her lips.

"Merry Christmas, Bayley!" Seth, Roman, and Sasha all said as soon as Bayley and Dean reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Bayley chirped, a smile firmly settling on her face.

"So, how'd you sleep last night?" Seth asked. "I'm guessing it was great, seeing as how you didn't wake up during the night."

"I did, actually," Bayley nodded. "I know I'm probably sounding a bit greedy when I say this, but I'm pretty excited to see what I got this year."

"I'm sure you'll like what we all got you this year. And don't worry about sounding greedy. Christmas is just another day where it should be all about you," Roman smiled to reassure the brunette.

"Yeah, I...I guess so," Bayley smiled a bit. Sure, she knew Roman was fairly right-as next to her birthday, Christmas tended to be a day in the year where the others would try to make the day all about her-but, this year...she wanted to do something a bit different, seeing as how there was a new addition to their little family this year.

"So! Bayley, how's about we sit down to Christmas breakfast first, and then after that, you can open up your presents?" Dean suggested.

"OK! That sounds like a good plan to me," Bayley smiled.

Heading over to take a seat at the kitchen island that was partially covered with a buffet of food from scrambled eggs to waffles to bacon to sausages to cinnamon rolls, Bayley sat down and, after Seth got a plate and utensils for her, helped herself to some of each of the foods that were made. Taking her time to eat her food and drink the hot chocolate Seth poured for her, the brunette couldn't help but let her own plan for Christmas ping around in her thoughts. _'I just_ really _hope Seth, Dean, Ro, and Sasha will like this. This is going to be the first time we've been so complete of a family, and I just want to make today special.'_ Eating as much as she could hold in her stomach, Bayley let out a satisfied breath as she rubbed her stomach.

Seeing that Bayley seemed full from her breakfast, Dean took a bite of the cinnamon roll he had as a snicker escaped him. "Looks like _someone's_ stuffed themselves a bit too much on breakfast."

"Can't help it. Was _sooooo_ _good_ ," Bayley moaned in satisfaction.

"Well, I'm sure the others appreciate you complimenting the meal they made for breakfast," Dean smiled.

Looking over to Seth and the others, Bayley was rewarded with the other three Gems giving her smiles as a sign of their thanks. Smiling back, Bayley stretched her arms and let out a moan. "OK! I think I'm ready to open my presents now." Climbing down from the stool she was sitting on, Bayley made her way over to the Christmas tree with the other Gems following and then taking seats in the chairs that surrounded the small table so that they could watch the brunette open her presents.

Taking a seat on the floor in front of the tree, Bayley looked at the array of presents for her-all in different sizes-she didn't know which one to open first. Her eyes roaming over all of the wrapped items, Bayley reached for a rather lumpy-looking present that had a gift tag with "To Bayley, Love Roman" written on it. Running a finger under the edge of the green and white wrapping paper, Bayley tore away at the paper as she was soon rewarded with her first present, said present being a dress that was a sleeveless light pink and white plaid dress that came with a white polo shirt sewn in underneath. Her eyes seeming to shine at this, Bayley said "Aww, Roman. This is so cute! Did you pick this out for me on your own?"

"I'm glad you like it," Roman smiled. "But, it wasn't all me that found it. Your Aunt Naomi helped me out."

"Really?" Bayley asked. Seeing Roman nod, Bayley said "I'll have to be sure I tell her Thanks next time she comes to visit."

Cutting in under his breath while Bayley was still rambling on a bit, Dean mumbled "Oh, I think Aunt Naomi already knows", only to receive a swift elbow to the side from Seth.

Not even seeming to notice what was going on between Seth and Dean, Bayley said "Thanks again, Ro."

"You're welcome, baby girl," Roman smiled.

The rest of Bayley's present opening went fairly the same as when she opened Roman's first gift to her. Among the other presents she got were a pink Nintendo 3DS and a copy of Pokémon X from Seth, a set of five toy Hamtaro figures from Dean, and a few other assorted goodies from the Gems. Just seeing everything she got was making Bayley feel so happy. She had gotten some pretty great hauls of Christmas presents over the years, but this year's felt like one of the best she had ever gotten.

...However. Even though she was happy with everything she had gotten, Bayley couldn't help but notice that pretty much everything had come from Dean, Seth, and Roman...nothing from Sasha. This was making the ponytailed brunette feel a bit upset because she felt she made a lot of progress with introducing Christmas to Sasha; so, seeing that the magenta-haired Gem didn't participate in helping Santa Claus and the other Gems with getting her presents felt a bit disappointing to the brunette.

...But, this sense of disappointment all but disappeared when she looked under the Christmas tree and saw one last present that was a rather boxy shape. Grabbing and pulling this from under the tree, Bayley was surprised to see that on the gift tag "To Bayley, From Sasha". Her curiosity growing at just what the magenta-haired Gem could've gotten her, Bayley slowly tore the wrapping paper off of her present before being rewarded with something that made her say "Oh my god. This is so cool!"

"What? What is it, Bayley?" Dean asked, curious about what it was that she had now.

"It's what Sasha got me," Bayley said, a wide smile splitting her face. Turning around on the floor, Bayley held up just what had her so excited. "I got the complete box set of the graphic novels for Scott Pilgrim! I've been wanting these for myself ever since Paige let me borrow her copy of the first volume. This is so cool that I have the full series for myself now!"

"Wow. That _is_ pretty cool," Seth smiled, feeling happy to see Bayley loving the present Sasha got her.

Leaning over to the magenta-haired Gem, Dean whispered "Nice getting that for Bayley. She must've told you how much she really liked the first one."

"Thanks. Although, Bayley told me no such thing. I simply went with my instincts when I was out with Seth a few days ago," Sasha whispered back. "And it looks like I was right to trust them."

Standing from the floor now that she was done opening all of her presents, Bayley looked down at all of her new treasures and then to the four that were responsible for getting them for her. Her smile softening from excited to thankful, Bayley said "Thanks so much you guys for a really great Christmas haul this year. I know I'm probably going to maybe say this next year, but I'm meaning it this year. I think this is the best that I've ever gotten. And it's not because a lot of it is just what I wanted, but because it's all stuff I got from my family. And, that...that's something I'm going to be thankful for for the rest of my life." A stray tear rolling down her face, Bayley wiped it away before continuing. "And, since I'm down getting all of my gifts from you guys and Santa, I want to play the part of Santa myself and give you all something. Hold on sec."

Watching as Bayley dashed away from where her presents were and up the stairs to her "bedroom", Sasha asked "What's going on? Is Bayley okay?"

"Yeah, she is. It's just...she's never done this before," Dean began to feel a bit confused. "Seth? You got any idea what's gotten into Bayley?"

"None. This is something that's pretty new to me," Seth said. Looking over to Roman, Seth asked "Roman? What do you suggest we do?"

Taking in the various worried and confused tones in the other Gems' voices, Roman said "Nothing. Whatever it is that Bayley has in mind, I say we just wait and see what it is. After all, this is Bayley we're talking about here. It can't be all that bad."

Just as soon as Roman said this, Bayley came bounding back down the stairs carrying a fairly big red cloth bag. Once she was at the bottom of the stairs, the brunette worked to catch her breath. Feeling as though she had her wind back, Bayley said "OK. I know every year you guys ae always getting me stuff for Christmas, so I decided that this year, you guys should get something, too." Walking over to where the other Gems were sitting, Bayley reached into her bag and, walking over to each Gem, gave each of them one present, all of them ranging in size. With her bag now empty as she went to stand in front of the TV, Bayley smiled adn said "Well? Go ahead. Open your presents", a somewhat nervous edge to her voice.

This was definitely a surprise for Dean, Roman, and Seth as this was the first time that Bayley ever decided to give them a present for Christmas; it was a strong promise that they kept to always make days like Christmas and other days like it all about Bayley, so the fact that Bayley was giving _them_ all something this year was pretty sweet. As for Sasha, she wasn't really expecting to get anything; so, to be holding a present from Bayley now was definitely a surprise to her. Not wanting to keep the brunette waiting any longer, the Gems all tore into their presents and were surprised with what they got: Roman got a pair of black fingerless gloves, Seth got a cookbook of different breakfast, dinner, and dessert recipes, Dean got a few bags of candy-all kinds that he liked-and Sasha got a copy of the book 'A Christmas Carol'.

At first none of the Gems could say anything over the surprise they were feeling at Bayley's presents to all of them. So, it surprised everyone when Sasha was the first to break the ice.

"Wow, Bayley. This is great. Dickens is considered a classic of English literature, so I can't wait to read one of his most well-known works. Thank you." And, in a move that surprised everyone-Bayley included-Sasha rose from where she was sitting and, wrapping her arms around Bayley once she reached the brunette, gave Bayley a hug as her thanks.

This surprised Bayley as, to her knowledge, this is the first time she ever saw or got a hug from the magenta-haired Gem. So, not wanting to leave her fellow Gem hanging, Bayley returned Sasha's hug as her smile seemed to spread across her face.

Watching the girls as they hugged, the other three Gems shared a smile over everything that happened with their Christmas. While they weren't human themselves, that didn't mean that they couldn't enjoy a holiday like this; especially when it was a time that they could come together as a family. And with Sasha now joining them, their family was feeling more complete than it was before.

Even though he didn't want to interrupt the sight before him, it was getting fairly late in the day, and they _were_ going to have to clean up before it got _too_ awfully late. Clearing his throat, Roman said "Bayley. Perhaps we should clean up all of the wrapping paper before we settle down."

"OK, Ro!" Bayley chirped as she and Sasha released their hugs on each other.

Watching as Bayley walked over and began to pick up all of the torn wrapping paper, Sasha suggested "Let me help you, Bayley. That looks like quite a bit of work for one to do on their own."

"OK, Sasha!" Bayley nodded as she and the magenta-haired Gem went to work at cleaning while the other three went to work preparing a fairly light Christmas dinner, seeing as how they still had a fair amount of cinnamon rolls leftover from breakfast. Looking over and watching as Sasha picked up some of the wrapping paper, Bayley let a soft smile cover her face as she thought _'Merry first Christmas, Sasha. I hope this'll be the first of many you can celebrate with me and the guys.'_

 **And thus ends the 'Christmas With The Gems' arc of Bayley's Universe. I'm just feeling so happy that I was able to get something festive written for the reading pleasure of everyone that read this. ^^ And I'm even happier with how the arc as a whole turned out. ^u^ From Bayley introducing Sasha to the Christmas traditions she and the others have to a pretty darn great Christmas Day filled with good food, presents, and the Gems coming together as a family, all of it was just so sweet and great and it all really shows that, even though there may have been troubles in their pasts, these five really do love and care about each other. So precious! =')**

 **Now, as for my next arc, I've got a few different ideas bouncing around. On one hand, I'd actually like to work on the earlier proposed Natalya backstory arc...just so that it can be a learning experience for Bayley to learn more about her mom that she never got to meet...and maybe even the dad she never got to meet either. On another hand, I'd want to go on with the arc where Dean goes about trying to help Sasha fix her Gem. Then on _another_ hand, I have this idea where another Gem with a Peridot-esque personality (pre-Reformation Peri, that is) arrives in the city that Bayley and the others live in and targets them (not the best pitch, but I'm hoping you guys get my drift). And on other hands...I have other arc ideas, but none as concrete as these two. If either one piques anyone's curiosity, let me know, and that just might be the next one I start on. ;)**

 **So, if I don't have anything new for this story posted before the new year rings in, I just want to wish everyone an early Happy New Year. =) Hope everyone is safe doing whatever it is that they do for New Year's, and I hope you all enjoy ringing in 2017. Until my next update, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	30. The Story of Natalya (Part 1)

**New year means a new arc of Bayley's Universe! And I have a feeling that this is going to be an arc that...it's going to be a journey of learning (in a way), that's for sure.**

 **Now, at the end of the last arc, I asked you guys which arc you'd want to see brought to life next, and I got a Guest review asking for the arc where Bayley learns about Natalya. ...And I felt that was pretty great to leap into next. After all, storytime with the Gems could be a great way for Bayley and Sasha to learn about Natalya (in Sasha's case, learn about how Natalya was able to conceive Bayley in the first place). I hope you guys enjoy this next arc, aptly named 'The Story of Natalya'. =)**

Even though her class presentation for Mr. Regal was a fair amount of time behind her, Bayley still felt fairly curious about the ocarina Seth and the others let her take to school. While she had been told that it was something that had belonged to the person that raised the older three Gems when they were younger-and possibly Sasha too, from what she's heard-there really _was_ something that felt oddly familiar about the pink instrument. _'Maybe if I just ask the guys about who this belonged to, they'd tell me. Can't hurt, after all,'_ Bayley thought. Nodding at this idea, Bayley climbed off of her bed and headed downstairs in the hopes of trying to find one of the guys and ask. She had just reached the bottom of the staircase when she heard...

"And _why_ is it that you guys haven't told Bayley about Natalya yet?" Sasha questioned Seth.

"Sasha, we're just waiting on the right time to tell her. After all, it hasn't exactly been the easiest thing in the world really letting Bayley know about her Gem heritage," Seth ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sure it probably isn't, but... I don't know. Don't you think she might be feeling curious about Natalya's ocarina?" Sasha asked. "After all, it seems like for the past few weeks now since Christmas, she's been quite curious about it."

"I know, Sasha, I know. And, we're going to tell her. We just...we just have to wait for when we think Bayley can take learning the news and hearing the story," Seth reasoned out.

Stepping forward as she cleared her throat, Bayley soon got the attention of the other two Gems before saying "I, um, I think I'm ready for this story."

"Bayley? Are you sure?" Seth asked, feeling fairly surprised to hear Bayley say this. "You don't...have to hear it if you don't want to."

"But, Seth. I-I _want to_ ," Bayley insisted. Holding up the ocarina, Bayley asked "This has something to do with this Natalya lady you two are talking about, right? Well, who is she? Is she someone that saw me when I was a baby?"

Sharing a bit of an uneasy look with Sasha, Seth took a breath in before letting it out. "In a way...Yeah. She did."

"Really?" Bayley asked. Seeing the two-toned Gem nod, Bayley said "Well, that...that's great! Do you guys know where she is today? I'd really like to meet her," a smile starting to cross her face at her growing excitement about meeting this woman.

"Well, Bayley. That's just the thing," Sasha started before stopping. While the magenta-haired Gem was just questioning Seth about why he hadn't told Bayley about the woman that gave birth to her, the woman who was technically her mother, she was now beginning to see that maybe telling Bayley wasn't the wisest thing to do; after all, seeing Bayley seem so excited to meet Natalya was making Sasha question just _how_ they could even go about telling Bayley what happened to her.

"What? What is it, Sasha?" Bayley asked, wondering why Sasha said what she said. It wasn't until she really looked at the expressions on the magenta-haired and two-toned Gems that she began to feel that something wasn't completely right. An uneasy feeling starting to settle over her as her smile dropped, Bayley asked "Guys? What is it? What's wrong?"

Sharing a look with Sasha, Seth took a breath in before letting it out. "Bayley. Perhaps...perhaps it'd be better if we all sit down so we can tell you. This is a pretty long story."

Hearing Seth say all of this, Bayley nodded her head in understanding. Walking over to and taking a seat on one of the chairs in the living room area, Bayley sat down on one of the couches with Sasha taking a seat beside her and Seth taking a seat in one of the chairs next to the couch.

Seeing Bayley having settled into the couch and getting a nod from Sasha that he could begin, Seth took another breath in before again letting it out. "OK, Bayley. Let me and Sasha tell you the story about Natalya. If you will, let me take you back a few years..."

 **Short start, yes. But, I feel as I progress in this arc, I could always get a bit longer with the chapters (especially with some of what I have planned to come in the arc). So, for now, I hope you guys enjoy this start to my 'The Story of Natalya' arc. Don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(*insert le shiki94 fangirling here* Oh. My. GOD! The coming StevenBomb episodes are already released online! The temptation to watch them is too STRONG! ...Although, since I've seen a clip of one, I feel it's now my duty as a Steven Universe fan to watch them online, and then again on Cartoon Network. =3 )**


	31. The Story of Natalya (Part 2)

_Sharing a look with Sasha, Seth took a breath in before letting it out. "Bayley. Perhaps...perhaps it'd be better if we all sit down so we can tell you. This is a pretty long story."_

 _Hearing Seth say all of this, Bayley nodded her head in understanding. Walking over to and taking a seat on one of the chairs in the living room area, Bayley sat down on one of the couches with Sasha taking a seat beside her and Seth taking a seat in one of the chairs next to the couch._

 _Seeing Bayley having settled into the couch and getting a nod from Sasha that he could begin, Seth took another breath in before again letting it out. "OK, Bayley. Let me and Sasha tell you the story about Natalya. If you will, let me take you back a few years..."_

 **So with Seth promising to Bayley about Natalya after Bayley accidentally overheard Seth and Sasha talking about her, just how will storytime begin? Read on down below to find out. And, I hope you enjoy, my loves. =)**

 **Fifteen Years Ago**

Driving the blade of his staff into a Gem tortoise, Seth watched as it exploded into a cloud of smoke, leaving only a spherical teal Gem behind. Picking the Gem up before creating a sky blue bubble around it, the two-toned Gem willed his staff away before turning to look at the blonde-haired Gem that was with him. "This area's clear, Natalya."

Pulling the end of her pink-bladed sword out of the tree it was wedged in from where she had taken down three Gem beasts similar to the ones Seth took care of, the blonde and pink-streaked Gem, Natalya, turned to Seth and, working to catch her breath, said "Great. My area's clear too, Seth" as she willed her sword away and she picked up the bubbled Gems from the ground.

"Remind me why we're even doing this," Seth inquired as he fell into step beside the blonde. "Aren't these creatures too far gone for us to even really do anything to help them?"

"Seth, don't say such a thing!" Natalya snapped. "They're our fellow Gems. We should try to do what we can to save them."

 _'Like salvation is even possible for them,'_ Seth thought as the blonde and pink-streaked Gem talked on. Seth knew that Natalya had made it her mission to try to save the Gems that had been turned into these creatures, but sometimes...he just felt that it was a fool's mission in and of itself.

The two Gems had been walking along and made it out of the expanse of woodland they had been walking through when they came upon the wood's edge that met up with the city they had taken up residence in.

"Would you just look at them, Seth?" Natalya asked as she and Seth walked past a few people on the sidewalk. "They seem so unaware of what's really happening in their world. It can't help but make you envy them."

"Oh yeah. I am _so_ envious of lesser beings that can't really defend themselves should the situation ever arise for it," Seth rolled his eyes. To Seth and the other Gems that were with him and Natalya, it never failed to amuse them that the blonde and pink-streaked Gem seemed so fascinated in the humans they had sworn themselves to protect. While they all had been in creation long enough to see where her fascination really stemmed from, Natalya's random observations felt fairly...tired after a while.

"Seth, be nice," Natalya lightly elbowed the two-toned Gem. "After all, I'm sure if you were in their shoes, you'd probably be enjoying your life."

"Probably, but...I doubt it," Seth shrugged before sharing a laugh with Natalya.

The two had continued their talk as they walked out of the city and up the hill to the house that they had taken up residence in. While the concept of houses was one that still seemed strange to Seth and the others at times, they had grown to like it as it provided them somewhere to rest after their battles with the Gem beasts. Climbing up the steps that led to the front door of their abode, Natalya opened the door and was greeted with the sight of Roman and Dean sitting on the chairs they had, with Roman reading a book and Dean taking a nap.

Looking up from his book, Roman asked "I take it Gem beast takedown went well today?"

Natalya said nothing and instead held up the bubbled Gems with Seth following suit and saying "Looks like Sasha's about to have some more company. I hope she doesn't mind Gem tortoises joining her in the room."

"I'm sure she won't. Although, ...it's not like she can really object to her roommates," Roman said, his voice dropping a bit at the end with Dean grunting in his sleep before rolling over on the couch.

Natalya was just about to ask Roman if things had been quiet around the house today when a scream from outside had her running back through the open door and, after leaping from the porch, flew down the side of the hill only to see what the source of the scream was: There was a centipeedle that seemed to be lowly growling at a person that was trembling on the ground in front of a tree. Natalya could tell that this was a human male as he wasn't doing anything to defend himself. While the Gems had made something in the way of a pact to not use their powers when humans were in the same area as them, Natalya could only think of one thing at that moment, and that thing was _to save this human male_. Summoning her sword from the pinkish red Gem that sat in her navel area, the blonde and pink-streaked Gem dashed forward from where she was and, leaping into the air with a yell, drove the blade of her sword through the back of the centipeedle. With a harsh screech, the creature then exploded into a greenish white cloud of smoke.

Her chest heaving up and down, Natalya willed her sword away as she looked down at the human male she just saved from what could've been certain death for him. While this male still seemed fairly shaken by what all just happened, the blonde and pink-streaked Gem couldn't help but feel a sudden strange warmth climb up her cheeks: This male didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary as far as others of his kind went as he had short, close-cut dark brown hair that stuck up a bit and was wearing a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of black shoes. But, for some reason, ...there just seemed to be _something_ about him that had the Gem feeling something she had never felt before. Doing her best to shake away this feeling, Natalya said "Are you okay? Here. Let me help you up" as she held her hand out.

The man still couldn't believe a lot of what just happened. One minute he's being chased through the woods by...whatever that monster was. And the next...he's being saved by this random woman who just came out of nowhere and killed it- _and with a sword that she just seemed to pull out of thin air!_ At first, he felt hesitant to do so because he didn't want to get hurt. But, ...for some reason, he let this woman help himself off of the ground.

Once he was on his feet, the man brushed away any dirt and grass that was on him before meeting the woman's gaze and said "Th-Thanks for that. You really saved my skin there."

"It was no problem. Just...doing what I can to help out those that need it," Natalya said.

"Well, I sure needed it back there. I don't even know what that thing was, but I'm glad someone was brave enough to jump in and take care of it," the man smiled in thanks, his cheeks starting to feel warm.

"Like I said, it...it was nothing," Natalya shrugged, in spite of the warmth that seemed to spread across her face feeling as though it was coming back again.

Before either of the two knew it, something in the way of an uncomfortable silence settled over them with just the wind rustling through the trees helping fill the silence. It wasn't until Natalya cleared her throat that the silence was broken.

"I, uh... I should probably get going now. I wouldn't want to keep you held up here," Natalya turned away, her face feeling as though it was on fire.

"No, wait!" The man reached out and grabbed hold of one of Natalya's hands before she could leave. Seeing the blonde and pink-streaked woman turn to look back at him, the man swallowed a bit before asking "I don't want to sound...pushy when I ask you this, but...is there any way I can see you again? When my life _isn't_ in danger?"

"See me again? Wha-What do you mean by that?" Natalya asked. While the blonde and pink-streaked Gem had been in creation for a fair number of years now and had been around humans for just as long, one thing that she never really understood was when humans would express their feelings for one another in some way. So, to be asked such a question like this felt fairly confusing to the Gem.

"I mean, would you...maybe like to meet with me again and we could do something together? Maybe, get something to eat somewhere, or just...hang out somewhere," the man said.

Natalya thought this over for a bit. While what she was being asked still seemed strange to her, there was actually something that seemed quite...fun and interesting about getting to "hang out" with this man. Reaching a decision, Natalya nodded and said "OK. I accept your invitation. I would like to hang out with you some time."

"Really?" the man asked. Seeing Natalya nod her head, the man smiled and said "Awesome! Let's say...How about you meet me at the Italian place in town and I'll treat you to dinner Friday this week?"

"That sounds nice," Natalya smiled. "I look forward to getting to see you then, ..."

"Oh! Sorry, my bad. I didn't introduce myself," the man said with a bit of a laugh. A soft smile crossing his face, the man said "My name's Tyson. Tyson Kidd."

"Great. Well, I shall see you later, Tyson," Natalya said, a bit of a shy smile crossing her face. Taking Tyson's hand in hers and giving it a shake, Natalya then took her hand out of Tyson's as she walked away and headed back up the hill to her house. As she walked away, she couldn't help but feel the same warmth come back to her cheeks. Being alone with Tyson definitely seemed like a fun thing to look forward to, but before that, she was going to need advice and tips on just what "hanging out" was going to consist of.

 **Funny story: I was actually considering having Cesaro be in the role I have Tyson in, but after thinking it over I thought "Nahh. Go with Tyson! He and Nattie are just too dang cute together!" *coughs and clears my throat* So! I hope you all like my choice for a suitor for Natalya (who I'm also hoping you guys are liking in her intro into Bayley's Universe). Next chapter's going to be all about Natalya hanging out with Tyson and everything that entails a Gem hanging out with a human. =3 Until next time, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(*insert random shiki94 fangirling here* I have seen the newest Steven Bomb, and...Oh my glory was it awesome! =D )**


	32. The Story of Natalya (Part 3)

_"Great. Well, I shall see you later, Tyson," Natalya said, a bit of a shy smile crossing her face. Taking Tyson's hand in hers and giving it a shake, Natalya then took her hand out of Tyson's as she walked away and headed back up the hill to her house. As she walked away, she couldn't help but feel the same warmth come back to her cheeks. Being alone with Tyson definitely seemed like a fun thing to look forward to, but before that, she was going to need advice and tips on just what "hanging out" was going to consist of._

 **Eager to see how Natalya hanging out with Tyson goes? Read on to find out and I hope you all enjoy, my loves. =)**

 **(Disclaimer: The author is not responsible for any blood sugar spikes, "Squee!"s, or "D'aawww!"s you may have while reading this. I only write what I feel/know will work in each chapter.)**

Back in the house, Natalya had just gotten finished talking with Seth and the others about her encounter with the man at the bottom of the hill after taking care of the centipeedle that almost attacked him. While the other Gems had been fairly onboard with the blonde and pink-streaked Gem's retelling of how she saved a human from a centipeedle attack, where they seemed to get lost was when Natalya told them about the strange feeling she felt while talking to Tyson and after agreeing to see him again to "hang out".

"I think I might know why you're feeling so weird, Nattie," Dean said after Natalya had finished recounting what just happened.

"Really? You do?" Natalya asked. Seeing the sandy blonde Gem nod, Natalya then asked "Well...what do you think it is?"

"I think you just might be _in love_ with this Tyson guy," Dean said, a teasing grin starting to cross his face.

"In love?" Natalya asked, confused by what Dean was getting at. "No, no. That can't be possible. I've only just met Tyson. That _can't_ be the reason. ...Can it?"

"It _does_ seem quite strange that you'd have developed feelings so quickly for the human-" Seth began before Natalya cut in.

"For _Tyson,_ Seth. I've told you his name, so the least you could do is use it," Natalya said.

"Right, right. _Tyson_ ," Seth corrected himself-not that he really saw the need to do so. "It is quite strange that you'd have something in the way of feelings for Tyson so quickly. Maybe... Maybe it's just something that you really need to explore. I mean, I'm not one to really have any say on this matter, but...it can't hurt to try and figure things out."

Dean's "observation" didn't really seem to help that much, but hearing Seth out really seemed to assure Natalya-if not largely surprise her at first. It wasn't until she heard Roman speak up behind her that she felt that exploring her possible feelings for Tyson was the right way to go.

"Seth's right, you know? And, to a degree, Dean is, too. There's nothing wrong with wanting to explore these possible feelings you might have. Besides, aren't _you_ the one that's always saying to take a chance when it comes to things like this?" Roman suggested with a slight smile and a shrug with his hands held up to show the two Gems in the palms of his hands.

Laughing a bit at Roman's own bit of advice, Natalya began to feel assured of herself that taking the leap in "hanging out" with Tyson would be an okay move to make. "Thanks a lot for the advice, you guys. It's just... I've never felt anything like this before, so I'm just...nervous."

"Relax, Nat. You've got nothing to be worried about. A Gem as kind and caring and funny as you are? Tyson'll practically be _begging_ to see you more after when you two hang out," Dean said with a thumbs-up and a smile.

Looking from Dean to Roman and Seth, who both offered up smiles and nods of their heads, Natalya smiled herself as she let the other Gems advise her on what they felt were norms that should be followed when a human female hung out with a human male. Taking all of their advice, Natalya let it all sink in as she then went about trying to best motivate herself so that when she would go to see Tyson again, she wouldn't mess things up and possibly drive the human away.

...

The day finally came when he'd get to see Natalya again for their dinner meet-up, Tyson couldn't be anymore excited. It wasn't so much the fact that he'd be meeting up again with the woman that so effortlessly saved his life, it was more about the fact that he was meeting up with a woman that seemed fairly interesting. After getting good luck wishes from his good friends Antonio Cesaro and Antonio's wife Aksana, the brunette went on with getting ready for his date with the blonde and pink-streaked woman.

Standing outside of the Italian restaurant Marella's where he was planning to meet Natalya, Tyson couldn't help but twirl the stem of the pink daisy he had bought for the woman in a bit of nervousness. This was going to mark the first date he had been on in months, and he just wanted it to be a great one; after all, the last one he went on was a bit of a disaster with his date seeming more wrapped up in talking about herself than anything else.

"Tyson, hi!" Natalya's voice could be heard calling him.

Snapping out of his remembrance of dates past, Tyson looked up and saw Natalya waving her hand and walking his way. And, needless to say, he was feeling fairly awestruck by the woman walking his way. The last time Tyson had seen Natalya, she was wearing a white tank top, black pants, and a pair of black boots. So, seeing the blonde and pink-streaked woman in what she was wearing now had the brunette feeling as though he wasn't even looking at the same woman that so effortlessly used a sword to take down that monster that tried to attack him a few days ago: Natalya was wearing a simple short-sleeved light pink dress that went down past her knees a bit and a pair of strappy white and brown sandals; she also had her hair curled a bit as it fell down past her shoulders.

Coming to a stop in front of Tyson, Natalya said "Sorry for being late. I didn't keep you waiting too long, did I?"

"Huh? Oh! No! No, you didn't, Natalya. I wasn't here that long. Just wanted to wait for you before heading inside," Tyson said, already starting to feel a slight warmth in his cheeks. Quickly holding the flower out in front of him, Tyson said "It's not much, but this is for you."

"Oh, a daisy," Natalya said as she took the flower. "Thank you, Tyson. It looks beautiful."

"You're welcome, Natalya," Tyson said with a smile. "So, shall we head inside?"

"Sure," Natalya smiled. Stepping towards the door, Natalya was surprised to see Tyson walk ahead of her and open the door. "What a gentleman you are."

"It's nothing really. Just something my parents taught me to do when I'm with a woman somewhere," Tyson said.

"Well, I think that's quite nice advice of your parents to give you," Natalya smiled. While the Gem never quite knew just what having "parents" felt like, she could only imagine that the ones that gave Tyson such advice were a knowledgeable pair.

"It actually is. I'll be sure to let my parents know what you think of their advice," Tyson smiled as he followed Natalya inside the restaurant.

From there, the two had a pretty nice evening out together. After their dinner at Marella's-that largely consisted of some pretty delicious pasta, the pair spent a bit of time walking around the city with Tyson showing Natalya some of his favorite places to visit and just talking with each other in the hopes of getting to know the other better. It was all just so much in the way of fun for the two that when Tyson announced that he should be heading home soon, Natalya actually felt... _disappointed_ ; and this mostly coming from the fact that she didn't want her time with the brunette human to end just yet _._

"I almost hate that you have to leave now, but...I understand. After all, work _is_ pretty important," Natalya said, even though what she saw as "work" was fairly different than what Tyson told her he did.

"Yeah, it is. Besides, I actually like my job. It's pretty fun working with my friend Antonio and helping train teens that want to be wrestlers," Tyson said. "Just seeing how my teaching helps them grow confident in their own wrestling styles...it's pretty rewarding."

"I'd imagine it is," Natalya said, smiling at how Tyson spoke of his job. One thing that the blonde and pink-streaked Gem admired about the humans she had sworn to protect was the fact that a good many of them had goals and dreams and aspirations for their futures. So, seeing that Tyson was helping with building the futures of countless younger humans...that was something made Natalya smile as she thought about it.

Seeing the way Natalya was smiling had Tyson looking down as he tried to hide the blush that dared to climb up his cheeks. It hadn't been that often that he went on a date with someone that seemed genuinely interested in him and his life, so seeing that Natalya was so interested in him...it was making Tyson feel things he hadn't quite felt for another woman before.

Clearing his throat as he finally looked back up, Tyson said "I should...I should probably go now. But, ...maybe we could do something like this again some time soon?"

Feeling surprised that Tyson wanted to see her _again_ , Natalya smiled and said "I...I would love to, Tyson."

"Great! Well, ...I'll see you later then," Tyson said with an eager smile. He was almost set to turn and head back to his place, but not before leaning and planting a soft kiss on Natalya's cheek. Seeing the surprised look on Natalya's face, Tyson quickly turned on his heel and walked away.

Standing and watching the retreating form of Tyson, Natalya slowly raised a hand to touch where Tyson had just...Wait. What exactly was it that he just did? The blonde and pink-streaked Gem was feeling a bit confused until she remembered a pair of Gems that she considered to be close allies and great friends doing the same thing quite often when they decided to be around. _'He kissed me._ Tyson just kissed me! _Granted, it wasn't like the ones Jimmy and Naomi share, it was still a kiss. And, honestly...it actually felt..._ nice _.'_ Getting kissed by someone was a new experience to the Gem, and...she liked how it felt. A smile starting to cross her face, Natalya turned and began to make her way back home, her evening "hanging out" with Tyson something that she couldn't wait to tell Seth and the others about.

 **Present Day**

"And that was just the start of Natalya seeing more of Tyson," Seth said. "After their first time hanging out with each other, although I suppose you could just call it a date, Natalya ended up spending more with Tyson."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Bayley smiled widely. "They sound like such a great fit for each other."

"Surprisingly, they were," Seth nodded in agreement with a smile. "Sure, he was a human and she was a Gem, but they were enough alike that them being together was actually fairly nice to see. Plus, Tyson had a pretty great personality, so it was always great having him around."

"That sounds really nice, Seth," Bayley said. "So, what happened after that night? You said that Natalya spent more time with Tyson, so what happened with them after their first date?"

"Yeah, Seth. What happened next for them?" Sasha asked, feeling just as curious as Bayley was. Since the magenta-haired Gem had spent most of her time sealed away in the brooch that was meant to help with keeping her stable, she wasn't around to meet Tyson, so she wanted to know about this human that Natalya seemed to develop feelings for.

"Well, after their first date, they went on a few more. Around their fifth or so date, Natalya felt comfortable enough bringing Tyson around me, Dean, and Ro; it was also around this time that Natalya felt that we should let Tyson know about what we really are since he had already seen her in action before, and, surprisingly, he was pretty accepting of the fact that we were Gem warriors," Seth said, a slight smile starting to cross his face before it seemed to fade away just as fast. "Then, for the next two years, Natalya and Tyson had grown even closer to each other; if you want an idea, just think of how close your Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Naomi are. And, it was around their second year together that Natalya began wanting something that was largely unheard of for us Gems."

Taking note of the look on Seth's face, Bayley asked "What? What was it, Seth? What was it that Natalya wanted?"

 **OK. I know that it seems like I was fairly bare bones-y with what all came with Natalya hanging out with Tyson, but to keep this chapter from getting _too_ awfully long, I decided to just include the high points of what came with it. And, it looks like some really nice and cute stuff came from it. From Tyson being adorably awkward to Natalya having a good time out with Tyson and their bond just growing from there, it was all just very nice, something that Bayley thinks is very sweet stuff (and if Bayley says so, then it _must_ be true). Although, for as nice as Natalya and Tyson's story of getting close is, there's a dark cloud that seems to have popped up in their second year together. And just what is this dark cloud, you might be asking? That question shall be answered in the next chapter. Until then, don't forget to R&R please. =)**


	33. The Story of Natalya (Part 4)

_"Well, after their first date, they went on a few more. Around their fifth or so date, Natalya felt comfortable enough bringing Tyson around me, Dean, and Ro; it was also around this time that Natalya felt that we should let Tyson know about what we really are since he had already seen her in action before, and, surprisingly, he was pretty accepting of the fact that we were Gem warriors," Seth said, a slight smile starting to cross his face before it seemed to fade away just as fast. "Then, for the next two years, Natalya and Tyson had grown even closer to each other; if you want an idea, just think of how close your Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Naomi are. And, it was around their second year together that Natalya began wanting something that was largely unheard of for us Gems."_

 _Taking note of the look on Seth's face, Bayley asked "What? What was it, Seth? What was it that Natalya wanted?"_

 **Curious about just what it was that Natalya could've possibly wanted around her and Tyson's second year together? That shall be revealed down below. I hope you enjoy, my loves. =)**

Getting a slight idea of just what it was that Natalya wanted around when she and Tyson were in their second year of being together, Sasha stepped in and said "Um, Seth? Maybe this is something that you should hold off on telling Bayley."

"Why, Sasha? Is...is something wrong with this part of the story?" Bayley asked the magenta-haired Gem.

"No, no! There isn't, Bayley. It's just...I'm trying to find a good way to tell you and Sasha," Seth explained while cutting a look over to Sasha.

"Well, don't think too hard on it. I'm sure you'll find a way. Just take your time with it. I've got all day, unless Sami or Becky or Paige or Finn decide to come over," Bayley said.

Seeing the calm look on Bayley's and Sasha giving him a nod to continue, Seth took a breath as he collected his thoughts on the time in question. Feeling as though he could continue now, Seth began telling the story again. "OK. So, around the second year Natalya was dating Tyson..."

...

 **Fourteen Years Earlier**

"'Sana, relax. Me and Nattie got this," Tyson assured the raven-haired woman. "You and Antonio just go enjoy some time out, and we'll look after little Claudio for you."

"If...if you say so, Tyson. Just let me kiss my _kūdikis_ (baby) goodbye," the raven-haired woman, Aksana Cesaro, headed over to where her son was lying in his bassinet. Planting a kiss on the baby's forehead, Aksana said "Be good for your uncle Tyson and aunt Natalya, my dear Claudio. Mommy and Daddy will be back soon."

Watching as his wife kissed their son goodbye, Antonio said "We'll try not to be out for too long."

"Hey, no need to rush back, man," Tyson reassured the taller man. "Me and Nattie can take care of Claudio just fine. You two just enjoy your date night."

"We will, I don't think you have to worry about saying that." Antonio laughed a bit. "Thanks again for doing this for us, Tyson."

"It's no problem. Anything we can do to help our friends out," Tyson said as Aksana came over and joined the three. "Now, you two go on and enjoy your date. We've got things here."

"OK. Take good care of our son. We'll be back as soon as we can," Aksana said, before she and Antonio finally turned and left their home for the first date night they'd had since their son was born.

With Antonio and Aksana gone, Natalya asked "I'm guessing Aksana's always like that when it comes to Claudio?"

Letting out a light laugh, Tyson said "You wouldn't be wrong in guessing that. But, that's how a lot of parents are with their kids. A lot of them just can't seem to bear to be away from their children too much when they're born."

"That must just be a way that other humans show their love for their children," Natalya reasoned as she looked down at Claudio, who was cooing as he played with the stuffed dog that was in his bassinet.

"It really is, when you really think about it. It's how my parents were with me, so it's just something I can see in other parents with their kids. It's no real big deal," Tyson shrugged.

"I see," Natalya nodded. As Tyson had went about getting Claudio's food and his bottle so that he could eat before they put him to sleep, the blonde and pink-streaked Gem looked down at the baby. It still always amazed Natalya seeing how it was that humans developed and grew; from small babies to fully-grown adults, it was all something that seemed mind-boggling and amazing to the Gem. ...And, if she could be totally honest with herself, it was something that she sometimes envied about the beings that she had sworn to protect.

Seeing how Natalya was watching over Claudio had Tyson thinking about something. He and the female Gem _had_ been together for the better part of two years now, and for some time now, the brunette had been thinking that maybe...maybe he and Natalya should try to take the next step in their relationship some time soon. The only thing about this was that...well, he had no experience in that field, so he wasn't sure how to go about bringing the topic up to Natalya. He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't heard Natalya calling him. Managing to snap out of his daze, Tyson said "Huh? What is it, Nattie? You need something?"

"No, no. I don't. At least, not really. I was just seeing if you were okay. I kept calling you, but you didn't really answer me," Natalya said, feeling a bit worried that something might be wrong with Tyson.

"Oh, yeah, yeah! I'm okay. I was just thinking about some stuff. That's all," Tyson assured the Gem as he walked over to where she was with Claudio. Wanting to get his observation out there, Tyson asked "You really like babies, don't you, Nattie?"

"Yes. I really do," Natalya smiled as she tickled Claudio's belly a bit, getting giggles out of the baby. "I've always just found it so fascinating."

"Found what fascinating?" Tyson asked.

"You and other humans," Natalya said, her smile softening. "I've always just found it so fascinating how it is that humans start off as small babies and they grow into people like you and Antonio. You get to make your own choices about your lives and your futures, and that's something that, believe it or not, I'm a bit jealous of when it comes to humans."

"You make it sound almost like Gems don't have control over their lives," Tyson said, his curiosity piqued quite a bit by what Natalya was saying. While he didn't know much about Natalya and the other three Gems that lived with her, it always fascinated Tyson when he could find out bits and pieces of just what these four were.

"Well... I...suppose you could say something like that," Natalya began. "It's like...from the moment Gems are brought into creation, we're usually given a prime directive and have to stick with it, ranging from scouting for new locations to have production grounds to soldiers. ...But, I found my lot to be fairly monotonous, so I wanted to change that. I decided to take my life into my own hands, break free of my position, and make a path for myself and those that decided to join me. It's because of this mindset that we don't have the best standing with others like us."

"Wow. That's actually all pretty impressive," Tyson said, after hearing Natalya's story.

"Not really. It's just all stuff I've picked up from my time around humans before. It's no big deal," Natalya smiled, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

"If you say so, Ms. Cool Gem Warrior," Tyson said with a grin, which got a light laugh out of the Gem.

The rest of their night babysitting went fairly well for the couple, as, after they fed, bathed, and played with Claudio a bit, the baby slept fairly peacefully. The only time they ran into a problem was when Claudio had woken up and started crying because, to Tyson's guessing, he had a nightmare; this was resolved by Natalya summoning an instrument from her Gem that she said was an ocarina and playing a rather soft and beautiful song that helped calm Claudio down and lull him back to sleep. An hour had passed after this, and Antonio and Aksana had come back from their date. Seeing their son asleep in his bassinet, the couple thanked Tyson and Natalya quite a bit for watching their son. After all of this was said and done, Tyson and Natalya took their leave for the evening and headed back to Tyson's apartment. On the walk there, Tyson couldn't help but notice that Natalya seemed particularly in thought about something.

"You okay, Nattie?" Tyson asked, looking over to the Gem.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah! Everything's fine. Just...there's just stuff on my mind," Natalya absently said.

"Stuff like what?" Tyson asked. Taking one of Natalya's hands in his, Tyson said "Come on. Why don't you talk to me about what's on your mind?"

Trying to find the right way to say what she wanted to tell Tyson, Natalya then decided just to let out what she was thinking about. "Tyson. I...I...I want to have a baby. With...you."

Hearing this come from Natalya surprised Tyson, largely because he had been having some of the same thoughts himself for some time now. While he _had_ been thinking at times that he'd like to start a family of his own, he just hadn't met the right person to do so with. However, after having met Natalya, Tyson felt that she was the one to start a family of his own with...he just wanted their relationship to reach a point where it would feel right to do so. Having finally managed to find his words, Tyson asked "Natalya? Are you...are you serious?"

"Well, ...yeah, I am," Natalya answered, with a nod of her head. "Tyson. We've been together for going on two years now, and...I know it's no real secret that I really care about you. ...And that I love you, too. So, I...I was thinking that...maybe we could take our relationship to the next step."

"Natalya? Do you...do you even know what you're t-talking about?" Tyson stammered his way through his question. While he had a fairly good idea of just what Natalya was getting at, it still surprised the brunette that the blonde and pink-streaked Gem even suggested this.

"Yes, I do," Natalya nodded. "I've been around humans long enough to know about them and their processes for things, and...I've learned from humans that I've met over the years and in stuff I've read about just how it is that a baby is made. I know this sounds...strange coming from me, but I want to try... _it_. With you."

Hearing Natalya sound so certain about wanting to take such a step in their relationship, Tyson swallowed around the lump that seemed to have been forming in the back of his throat as he just nodded his approval to Natalya's request. With Tyson taking hold of Natalya's hand again, the couple continued on their walk to Tyson's apartment, where a new chapter in both of their lives would soon unfold and begin to take shape.

 **I really hope you all liked the little bits of insight into Natalya as a person/Gem. You can tell that she really cares about the humans that she protects, while also holding a bit of envy towards them because of the sense of free will that they have over their lives (something that she and her fellow Gems do not have).**

 **EEEEEEE, Nattie wants to have a baby! ...But, wait. Could this be a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, it's fairly obvious that Natalya and Tyson'll love their baby (as shown by the love and care they gave to little Claudio (who I may introduce in a future arc...just depends if you guys would want to see him)). But, there's still the matter of the fact that they're two entirely different species (what with Tyson being a human and Natalya being a Gem that's assumed human form). ...But, as the end of the chapter would show, it would appear that motherhood seems to be on Natalya's horizon, so...cautious Yay! In the next chapter, we'll get to see just what a Gem being pregnant is like. So, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(Now, just to clear something up for you guys. Natalya is a _female_ Gem, meaning that she has an anatomy like that of a regular human female. Therefore, ... _it_ can happen between her and Tyson. ...I just hope I didn't scar anyone with this. u_u" )**

 **(One last thing! I was pitched this idea for a future arc by a fellow reader and writer, mikenowlin441: "Bayley falls from a tree and loses her memory so Dean, Roman and Seth go on an adventure inside her mind to return her memories to her". After thinking this idea over, it actually sounds like it would make for a pretty cool and interesting arc in the story. Let me know if you guys would like to see it, too, and I just might turn it into a future arc. =) )**


	34. The Story of Natalya (Part 5)

_Hearing Natalya sound so certain about wanting to take such a step in their relationship, Tyson swallowed around the lump that seemed to have been forming in the back of his throat as he just nodded his approval to Natalya's request. With Tyson taking hold of Natalya's hand again, the couple continued on their walk to Tyson's apartment, where a new chapter in both of their lives would soon unfold and begin to take shape._

 **So, after Natalya and Tyson make the big step in their relationship, what will come with a female Gem being pregnant? Read on to find out. And, enjoy, my loves. =)**

 **(And, a side note. I hope you all enjoyed your Valentine's Days/Single's Awareness Days. =) )**

 **Fourteen Years Earlier**

It had been a little over two months after the night when Natalya and Tyson had decided to take their relationship to the next level, and over the course of these past two months, the blonde and pink-streaked Gem had been feeling...strange. For some strange reason, Natalya had found herself regressing into habits that seemed typical of Dean...meaning she was eating large amounts of food and sleeping a lot. And, in addition to her rather Deanlike habits, she was also having periods where she'd feel nauseous and would vomit. This all seemed strange to the Gem, but she had a fairly good idea of just why she was acting so strangely.

Seth, Dean, and Roman, and even Tyson, on the other hand, didn't think all was well with Natalya. None of the three Gem males knew what to do about Natalya's current state with Tyson feeling...nervous about telling the other Gems about what happened between he and Natalya, largely because...well, to be honest, he just didn't want to get hurt by any of these three.

"Maybe she's caught some kind of human sickness," Seth pondered aloud one day.

"And exactly what kind of human sickness would make her want to eat pretty much everything in the house?" Dean moaned as he looked in the kitchen cabinets in search of a midday snack.

"Probably the same kind that would make her stomach get bigger, and make her want to just lie around all day," Seth said, bringing up something he had noticed.

While Dean and Seth had been talking around him, Roman had been using the device called a "computer" that was actually a pretty fast way of learning human knowledge. Having noticed all of these signs in Natalya himself, Roman had taken it upon himself to figure out the cause of the blonde and pink-streaked Gem's odd behavior. ...However, even with all of his research in all of the books they had, Roman had been hitting dead ends, stumbling upon sicknesses and diseases that he _knew_ that she couldn't possibly have as many of them had been cured by human scientists and doctors in the past. It wasn't until he had decided to make use of the "computer" device Tyson had brought to their house and given to them that he felt like he was on the road to figuring out just what was wrong with Natalya. After spending a few hours in front of the device, Roman felt like he just may have figured out what was wrong with Natalya. ...Although, just looking at what it was, it just seemed like it was something that seemed impossible for Gems...

Having heard Roman stop clicking away on the "computer", Seth looked over to the brunette Gem. "Roman? Everything okay over there?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I...I think so," Roman said, sounding surprisingly confused.

"Well, don't keep us in the dark, man. What is it? What has the computer told you?" Dean asked, tearing into a packet of strawberry toaster pastries that he finally managed to find.

"Well, according to this, it says that Natalya is...pregnant," Roman answered, slowly sounding the word out.

"Pregnant? Wha-What does that mean? What kind of sickness is that?!" Seth asked, immediately feeling worried for the female Gem.

"It's not a sickness, Seth. Although, this says that sickness _does_ come with being pregnant," Roman soothed the two-toned Gem. "According to this, it's something that happens to females when offspring develop inside of them. There's also a lot of other stuff here that...it's all fairly strange to me."

"Wait. You mean to tell me...that the reason why Natalya's been acting so strange lately and her stomach's been getting bigger is because... _there's something growing inside of her_?!" Seth asked, not seeming to believe this.

"That's right. Apparently, the offspring inside of Natalya is called a baby, and in nine months, she'll be able to bring it into the world," Roman read the information on the computer screen. Sitting back in his chair, the brunette let this information sink in as he said "Well, that... That's something new you don't learn about every day."

"What's something new, Roman?" Natalya could be heard asking as she came to join her fellow Gems.

His grey eyes turning to look at Natalya, Roman could begin to see some of the signs of human pregnancy that he had just read about in the female Gem: Her chest area seemed to be a bit bigger than it normally was, and, even though she was wearing a simple white blouse and a pair of loose black pants, he could still see where her stomach was bloated with where he guessed her baby was growing. This was all something that he had just learned about, and even then, the brunette Gem started to feel a strange sense of... _happiness_ start to rise in him.

Seeing Roman just staring at her stomach, Natalya blushed before asking "Uh, Rome? Everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm okay. I just...," Roman stopped himself before standing up, and, in a move that surprised everyone, giving Natalya a hug that the blonde and pink-streaked Gem was surprised by at first but then returned as she smiled, having a good idea of why Roman was giving her a hug.

Sharing a look with Seth, Dean asked "Um, did we...miss something here?" around the bites of toaster pastry he was chewing. "Why's Ro getting all huggy with Nattie over her being pregnant?"

"I don't know, Dean," Seth said, feeling equally confused. "Unless, ...this is all a _good_ thing?"

"It is, Seth. It really is," Natalya smiled as Roman let go of her. Placing a hand on her stomach, Natalya decided to make her announcement now...even though her fellow Gems already seemed to know. "Guys, in case you already haven't figured it out from Roman, I'm pregnant. Now, I know you three are probably worried that this is something that'll hurt me, but don't worry, it won't. If you remember my friend Aksana and her son Claudio, I'm going to be doing what she did. Which means, for the next seven months, I'll be carrying a baby inside of me until I bring it into the world."

"That means... So, you _aren't_ going to be hurt?" Seth asked, really hoping that Natalya wouldn't get hurt by this.

"No, Seth, I won't," Natalya assured the two-toned Gem. "I mean, according to Aksana, there may be _some_ pain when it's time for the baby to come, but other than that, I'll be fine."

"That's a relief," Seth said, a wave of relief washing over him. Feeling a bit curious, Seth asked "Can I...can I...feel the baby?"

"Yeah, me too," Dean chimed in, setting down what remained of his toaster pastries. "I wanna feel the little one."

Looking over to see Roman looking at her with a look that mirrored what the others were asking, Natalya let out a soft laugh before saying "Sure, guys." Once the others were gathered around her, the blonde and pink-streaked Gem lifted up her blouse, drawing gasps of surprise from the other three as they saw the size of her stomach. Feeling first Seth and then Dean place a hand on her stomach with Roman being the last and placing both of his on her stomach, Natalya couldn't help but let a few happy tears slip down her cheeks as the feeling of her fellow Gems rubbing where her baby was growing just felt so... _right_. The blonde and pink-streaked Gem had many worries at first about whether or not her pregnancy would be well-received among the others; so, feeling Seth, Dean, and Roman rubbing her stomach gave her just the answer she was looking for. Now, ...now, all she had to do was tell the others that it was thanks to Tyson that she was going to be bringing a baby into the world.

...

 **Present Day**

"So, how did Natalya telling you guys that it was because of Tyson she was pregnant go?" Bayley asked.

"It went...mostly okay. I mean, at first, none of the three of us really knew just why Nattie was telling us about Tyson having something to do with her pregnancy. It wasn't until Tyson explained it all to us in a way that we could process that we figured out why she had to tell us about Tyson being involved," Seth said, around a laugh. "So, for the next seven months after all of that, Natalya's pregnancy was going pretty well. And, then...then came the month that brought about Nattie bringing her baby into the world." But, as Seth said this, he couldn't help the way his voice seemed to catch as he spoke these words.

 **Well, it looks like Natalya's pregnancy was pretty much like a human pregnancy...what with the morning sickness, the urge to want to nest/sleep a lot, and the food cravings/eating a lot (something that didn't sit all too well with Dean since it meant he didn't have much in the way of food to eat himself...XD). Now, on the note of Seth, Roman, and Dean, how great was it that they were worried for Nattie? Really goes to show how close the Gems all are with each other that, when one isn't particularly well, the others start to worry, as shown here with the guys all worrying about Nattie. Learning about pregnancy via the Internet. At least Roman got the info from credible-sounding sources...just doesn't really help the ensuing confusion from the guys. XD And, let's not forget how precious it was that the three guys were fascinated and curious about Natalya's little one (as Dean said)...so cute. =3 Now, next chapter... Next chapter's probably gonna be the end of this arc, if not the next to last chapter in it. And, it... ...Just to say in advance, I recommend bracing yourselves, because it's gonna be a bit of a feels-puncher, my loves. Until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	35. The Story of Natalya (Part 6)

_"So, for the next seven months after all of that, Natalya's pregnancy was going pretty well. And, then...then came the month that brought about Nattie bringing her baby into the world." But, as Seth said this, he couldn't help the way his voice seemed to catch._

 ***deep breath in* *deep breath out* OK. Here we are, at the end of the 'The Story of Natalya' arc. Now, like I said at the end of the last chapter, this chapter is gonna be a bit of a feels-puncher because... ...Well, I'll just let you groovy folks read on below, and be the judge of all this yourselves. I hope you all enjoy, my loves. =)**

Both Bayley and Sasha had taken notice of this, and both Gems began to have differing feelings settle over them: Bayley began to feel a bit hesitant to listen to anymore of the story because she didn't like where this was going. And, Sasha...Sasha had long since figured out how Seth's story was going to end, so she sat in silence as the two-toned Gem continued.

Swallowing around a lump that seemed to form in her throat, Bayley managed to get out "S-S-Seth? Y-You can go on. Wh-What happened when it came time for Natalya to deliver her baby?"

Taking a slightly shaky breath in before letting it out, Seth managed to find it in himself to continue. "Well, ..."

...

 **Thirteen Years Earlier**

Natalya's nine months of pregnancy had been quite the roller coaster ride for her, her fellow Gems, and Tyson. In between her showing many of the traits that were common in most human female pregnancies, the doctor's appointments, and having to stay on the sidelines while Seth, Dean, and Roman handled fighting Gem beasts, Natalya eagerly looked forward to the day when she'd be bringing her child into the world. She had even gotten some pretty nice presents from Aksana that would help with the baby in clothes, pacifiers, a few toys, and bottles.

Lying in bed beside Natalya in his apartment one night, Tyson couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he watched the Gem play her ocarina for their baby. For as excited as Natalya was for the birth of their child, Tyson felt equally excited as he was ready to meet a life that he had a hand in helping to create. It was all so exciting to the brunette as he was feeling ready to be the best dad he could be for his child.

"I can't believe I only have another week to go until I give birth. Even though Aksana told me it's going to hurt a lot, I don't care. I'm just...excited," Natalya smiled, setting her ocarina down as she moved a hand in circles across her stomach.

"I can tell. And, don't worry, Nattie. I'll be right there with you when your delivery day comes," Tyson smiled.

"Thanks, Tyson. You have just been so great through all of this, and...I'm glad that I'll be able to raise a child with you," Natalya smiled back before leaning in and catching Tyson's lips in a kiss that the brunette returned as he pulled his girlfriend close to him.

Meanwhile, back in the house of the Gems, Seth was reading through a book that was filled with tips for new parents while, with Roman's help, Dean was putting together the crib that Natalya's baby would sleep in when it was born. All of this had been quite the learning experience for the three Gems, and...despite their earlier worrying, they were all quite excited to meet the child that Natalya would give birth to soon.

...However, when the date of Natalya's delivery would come, everyone would soon learn why there had never been any known instances of female Gems giving birth to children.

 _Two Weeks Later_

Natalya couldn't help the scream that seemingly got ripped from her as she felt another wave of pain wash through her. Aksana had warned her that delivering her baby was going to be quite painful, but...Natalya didn't think it was going to hurt _this_ bad. And this was coming from one of the few people that had fought creatures that could deal some pretty wicked damage, too. Why, she could actually remember one time she was fighting a Gem vulture with Dean and had gotten lifted up into the sky by the bird, only to get dropped back down to the ground by it. Honestly, the pain she felt after landing hard on the ground was _nothing_ compared to this.

"You're doing fine, Nattie, you're doing fine," Tyson soothed as he sat beside the Gem in her home. Seeing as how Natalya wasn't exactly human, Tyson felt that a home birth would've been the best option, so as not to rouse the curiosity of any of the doctors in the local hospital. Besides, the couple had after their child's birth to take the baby to a hospital to have it checked out by doctors.

"I-I-AAH!-I'm really doubting that right now, Tyson!" Natalya barely managed to get out over the waves of pain that came with her contractions. Tears rolling down her cheeks, Natalya asked "How much longer is this going to last?"

"Um, it-it shouldn't be too much longer, Nattie," Seth answered from where he was sitting and keeping a check on Natalya's opening, doing his best to remember what came with delivering human babies from what he had read on the "computer". "Um... OK. I think now you should try to start pushing. That way, you can help your baby get out."

Nodding, Natalya did as Seth said and began to push in her bid to start delivering her child. Her grip tightening on the sides of the table she was lying on, the female Gem pushed, in spite of the rocking waves of contraction pains that seemed to rocket up her body. With each push, with each breath she took in and let out, Natalya could feel her baby moving, which was backed up by Seth saying that he could see the baby's head after some time. ...But, what she couldn't bring herself to mention to any of the men gathered around her was that she was feeling her energy leaving her in waves...and not like when she'd feel tired after fighting Gem beasts.

Seth had been keeping an eye on the progress of Natalya's birth and when he could finally see the baby's head, the two-toned Gem excitedly looked up and said "OK, Natalya! It's almost here! Just a little bit more, and your baby will be here."

Tiredly nodding her head, Natalya pushed a few more times before her final-and most painful yet-contraction rocketed through her as she could only yell out through the intense pain she was currently feeling before lying down on the table, breathing in and out quickly in a bid to get her breath back.

Pulling the baby fully out of Natalya after her pushing, Seth gasped before saying "Natalya. Tyson. Congratulations. Your child...is a girl."

A girl. Hearing Seth say this greatly surprised Tyson, as he never would've guessed his first child brought into the world would be his first daughter. Covering his mouth as a few tears slipped down his cheeks, Tyson _would've_ had a huge smile on his face at that moment...had it not been for things not seeming quite right.

"Seth? What's wrong with the baby? Why isn't...why isn't she crying?" Tyson asked, immediately beginning to feel worried.

"I-I-I don't know, Tyson," Seth responded, his own worry climbing dangerously high. From what the two-toned Gem could see, the baby girl _seemed_ okay. But, upon a closer look, he could see that she wasn't breathing nor was she crying; and, after finding one of her pulse points, he couldn't feel a pulse either. "Oh no. Oh no no no no no."

"What, Seth? What is it?!" Tyson asked, not liking the sounds coming from Seth at all.

"The baby, she... I don't think she fully made it," Seth looked over to the brunette, his eyes beginning to swim with unshed tears. "Tyson, I'm so sorry."

Hearing these words come from Seth had Tyson feeling like he just got gutted. After all of the hours of labor Natalya just went through, the brunette didn't want to believe that the female Gem went through _all of that_...just for their daughter to arrive stillborn. Tyson was almost set to say something when he heard Natalya behind him.

"Seth? Can I...can I see my daughter?" the female Gem weakly asked.

"Natalya? A-are you sure?" Tyson asked, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "Our daughter didn't make it. Doesn't that make you feel upset?"

"It...it does, Tyson. But, don't worry. I think I know how I can fix this," Natalya said. "But, first, ...I need you to go get Dean and Roman and tell them to come in here."

Nodding, Tyson got up from his seat beside Natalya, and, planting a kiss on the Gem's sweat-covered forehead, headed outside to fetch the two she wanted.

With Tyson gone, Seth looked to Natalya as he held her daughter to him. "Nattie. What did you mean...when you said you think you can fix this?"

Letting out a weak laugh, Natalya sniffled before beginning to tell Seth her plan. "I'm going to give up my life, and give it to my daughter."

"Give up your life? Natalya, are you...are you sure you can even do that?" Seth asked, a few of his tears already rolling down his cheeks.

"I can," Natalya nodded. "If you take my Gem out of me...and implant it into my daughter's navel where it was in me, ...then, she'll be able to live, and I..."

It was at this point Natalya and Seth were rejoined by Tyson, Dean, and Roman, who had all overheard the end part of the female Gem's plan. While it was something that had all three men feeling particularly saddened, no one was showing their pain more than Tyson, who was not being shy about letting the others see him crying.

Walking over to rejoin his girlfriend, Tyson said "Tell me what you just said isn't so. Tell me that there's another way you can save our daughter."

"This is...the only way I can think of, Tyson," Natalya said. Slowly raising a hand to cup the side of Tyson's face, Natalya reassured "Don't worry, my love. I won't truly be gone. I'll still be alive in our daughter. Please don't forget that."

"I won't, Natalya. I won't," Tyson said around sobs as he placed his hand over Natalya's.

Smiling at hearing her boyfriend say this, Natalya then turned her attention to Seth, Dean, and Roman. "Guys. Keep in mind...what I just told Tyson. My daughter is a part of me, ...and she'll always carry a piece of me with her. I want you three to raise her to see the great beauty of this world, ...to let her know friendship and love, ...and to help her defend what it is that we love about this planet so much."

Seth couldn't bring himself to say anything as sobs had fully taken over him at what Natalya-their friend, trusted leader, and comrade-was saying, and Dean was fighting his hardest not to cry, but failed as tears rolled down his cheeks and he kept clenching and unclenching his fist. The only one of the Gem trio that could manage to say anything was Roman, and even _he_ had a few tears rolling down his face.

"Don't worry, Nattie. We'll...we'll do our best to help raise your daughter," Roman finally managed to get out. "...And, you can believe that."

Smiling at Roman having said this and seeing Seth and Dean give her nods of agreement with what Roman said, Natalya closed her eyes let a few tears of her own fall, even as Tyson leaned down and planted one last kiss on her lips.

Pulling away from Natalya, Tyson could just tell that the female Gem was no longer with them. Squeezing his eyes closed, the brunette could only let his tears silently fall as he mourned the loss of the first woman he ever truly loved while Seth and the others went to work doing what Natalya told them to do about hopefully bringing his daughter to life. He had just wiped his eyes when he heard the sounds of a baby's cries. Opening his eyes, Tyson looked up to see a surprised Seth, Dean, and Roman all looking down at his daughter, who was now crying and lying on a towel in the area where Natalya's body was, the Gem that he remembered seeing in Natalya's belly button now sitting in his daughter's belly button. Managing to find his words, Tyson breathed out "Oh my god. That actually worked."

"It did," Seth nodded as he wiped his eyes. "Go on, Tyson. Hold your daughter."

He only needed to be told once as, wrapping the infant up in the towel, Tyson picked his daughter up and, after moving the towel away from her face, allowed himself to look down at the now lightly snoring baby: Her skin had a lightly tanned tone to it, her eyes were closed, and dark brown hair that seemed to stick up a bit on her head. Letting out a bit of a laugh, Tyson looked to the others and said "She's beautiful. She's perfect" as a few tears rolled down his face.

"That's so great to hear, Tyson," Seth said, a smile on his face in spite of the tears that were still streaming down his face.

"So, what do we call the little one?" Dean asked. "What's the name of the newest member of our family?"

"Well," Tyson sniffled before continuing. "We weren't sure about letting her take my last name since that would end up driving my family nuts, so we let her take the last name of the doctor that was such a huge help to us during Nattie's pregnancy, Martinez. And, as for her first and middle names, we decided on Bayley Rose."

"Bayley Rose Martinez," Roman repeated. His lips turning up into a smile, Roman said "I like it. It's a cute name for the little one."

"It is, isn't it?" Tyson smiled over at the brunette Gem. Looking back down at his daughter, Tyson smoothed down his daughter's hair as he said "Welcome to the world, Bayley Rose" and then planted a kiss on the infant's head, which he saw got the baby to smile in spite of her eyes still being closed.

...

 **Present Day**

"And, that... That about wraps up the story of Natalya," Seth finished, tears rolling down his face at this point. Looking over to the couch that Bayley and Sasha were on, the two-toned Gem could see similar reactions on the faces of both Gems in that they were both crying, Bayley's sobs being a bit more vocal than Sasha's. "Bayley, I... I'm so sorry for telling you this. I wanted to wait until you were older and could take hearing it. Please, ...please don't be upset."

Wiping at her eyes, Bayley answered "No, no, Seth. I'm not sad. ...If anything, I feel happy that I finally got to hear it."

"Hearing that made you feel _happy_?" Sasha asked, wiping away her own tears. "I don't quite follow, Bayley."

"Well, I think it's because...I finally know more about, well, _me_ ," Bayley said, a slight smile on her face. "For as long as I've been alive, I've always wondered about my parents and why I never saw or met them. Now that I know all of this, ...I just feel happy...if not a bit left behind."

"I'm glad that you feel happy after hearing the story, Bayley," Seth smiled as he wiped his face. "I'm sure Natalya-well, your mom would love that you were happy to learn about her."

"I was. It's even cooler that I have a dad, too," Bayley brought up Tyson. "Say, what happened to Tys-my dad after I was born? Does he still live here in the city?"

"He...does, sort of," Seth said. "With his wrestling school, he often travels around the country with Antonio, visiting other schools and helping with students there. When he can, he comes back here, but...he hasn't been around in a few years. I'm guessing that means that his work has kept him fairly tied up with other schools."

"Oh, I see," Bayley nodded. "Well, I hope he comes back home soon. I can't wait to meet him so that he can see how much his daughter's grown."

"And I'm sure he'd be happy to see how much you've grown, too," Seth smiled. "After all, when he was here and he was raising you, he always talked about wanting to see you grow up to be a wonderful young lady. And, I think that's already happened."

"Aww, thanks, Seth," Bayley hopped up from the couch and gave Seth a hug. Holding up the ocarina, Bayley asked "If it's okay with you and the others, would it be okay if I kept this in my room? Just so that I can have something to remind me of Mom around."

"Of-of course, Bayley," Seth said, smiling as a stray tear rolled down his cheek. "Just promise me you'll keep it out of harm's way."

"I will," Bayley nodded. "Thanks again, Seth!" Giving Seth one last hug, Bayley headed upstairs to her "bedroom", a smile on her face as she held what was such an important reminder of her mom close to her.

Back downstairs, Sasha looked over to Seth and smiled. "You know? That was pretty nice of you, Seth."

"It was no big deal. Like I told Bayley, we wanted to wait until she was old enough to really understand, so I'm just happy that storytime went over well," Seth said, a sense of relief washing over him. "It just feels like a load off of me to have finally told her."

"I can see that. And, in my opinion, ...I think you did a great job telling Bayley about Natalya. Even though I wasn't here during her time with Tyson, I'm sure they both would be pleased with how you told their daughter about their relationship," Sasha reassured with a smile.

"I'm sure they would. In fact, I _know_ they would," Seth sat back and closed his eyes, a proud smile crossing his face over having finally told Bayley one of the biggest secrets that he and the others had been keeping from her...and for having finally told Bayley about the family she never got to know, but still very much had.

 **...*sniffles as I wipe my eyes* ...I really _should_ do something about those infernal onion-cutting ninjas that always seem to be around when I'm either writing, reading, watching, or listening to something that gets me in my feels. Those sneaky devils always make me tear up! ...*coughs* Anywho! I hope you all enjoyed the end of the 'The Story of Natalya' arc of Bayley's Universe. It was pretty fun working with delving into the backstory of Natalya (who is my Rose Quartz here), and showing just why it is that she has the reputation that she has among the Gems and why talking about her can be hard for Seth and the others to do at times. After having heard Seth's story, Bayley now knows about who her parents really are and hopes to meet her dad Tyson (who I _plan_ to let appear in a future arc, along with Antonio, Aksana, and Claudio...just not sure when yet...=3). And Sasha (who was still in the brooch around when Natalya was with Tyson since her Gem was cracked), now knowing why Natalya isn't around anymore, feels that Seth did great in telling Bayley about her parents. Just...SO MANY FEELS HERE! ...*coughs again* Anywho (again)! I hope you guys have all enjoyed this chapter, along with the Natalya backstory arc. Don't forget to R &R please, and I'll see you guys in the next arc...which I hope to start soon. =)**

 **(*insert shiki94 apology here* To anyone that got owies in their feels, shiki is sorry (T_T)!)**

 **(*insert shiki94 rambling here* ...Note to self: Next time I get ready to work on a new chapter of this, _don't_ watch the newest Steven Universe beforehand. ...Seriously. I watched the newest episode before I began to work on this Friday, and...the onion-cutting ninjas struck again while I was watching it. It was still a great episode, though. (^^,) )**


	36. Healing Sasha (Part 1)

**Yikes. Took me longer than I thought to get this next arc started (I apologize for that...my "work" and just overall tiredness are the culprits here (=_=") ), but...here it is, and I apologize for the wait. Hopefully, the start to this arc is something you guys like and have been waiting for. I bring to you all for your reading pleasure the 'Healing Sasha' arc. I hope you all enjoy, my loves. =)**

Reading through one of her Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, Bayley couldn't help but notice that over the past few days, Dean and Sasha seemed to be spending quite a lot of time with each other talking about...something. Just what this something was, the ponytailed brunette didn't know; all she was able to really gather was that it seemed to be good news of some sort. She had even gone so far as to ask Seth and Roman about what was going on between the duo, but even they didn't seem to know what was going on with them. All they could tell Bayley was "I'm sure they'll tell us soon."

...Well, to Bayley, "soon" never quite seemed to come around. These somewhat secretive talks had been going on for a few days now, and the ponytailed brunette just wanted to know what was going on.

"I'm sure it's nothing much, Bayley," Sami reassured one Friday while he and Bayley were walking to Bayley's house from school. "It's probably just some Gem stuff they're still sorting out."

"I can't imagine what it could be since they've been talking in private about it for a few days now," Bayley brought up. "I just don't like how this is all making me feel."

"And, that would be... _how_ , exactly?" Sami asked, not quite following Bayley at the moment.

"Umm, ...I guess I should probably say it's making me feel left out. It's almost like how it took Seth a while to finally tell me about my parents, and now _this_ is happening between Dean and Sasha," Bayley said. Sighing as her shoulders sagged a bit and she raised a hand to touch her Gem through her t-shirt, Bayley said "I hate that it feels like the guys are always hiding stuff from me. I know it's because I'm younger and everything, but...I just wish they would be more open to tell me about stuff like this."

Seeing Bayley so upset about this made Sami feel bad for his friend. While he couldn't exactly speak from experience here, he _could_ empathize with Bayley on a smaller level in the sense that he had a similar feeling when it came to all of the moving around he and his parents did before finally settling down in Emerald Pines; he'd always be so late to finding out that when the time to move came, he'd feel upset about having to leave behind the friends he had managed to make only to move to a new place and do the same thing all over again. It was never all that fun nor was it entirely pleasant, but he knew it had to be done in the end. So, thinking back on these times had Sami _somewhat_ understanding both how Bayley and why Dean and Sasha were probably keeping what they were doing a secret from the ponytailed teen.

"Don't worry, Bayley. I'm sure they'll tell you what they've been doing soon. After all, I can't imagine Seth and the others wanting to keep too much a secret from you for much longer," Sami reassured. "And, who knows? Maybe today will be the day when you find out just what it is that Dean and Sasha have been so secretive about."

"I can only hope so," Bayley said, seeing as how the two had come up to Sami's house. Saying her goodbye to Sami, Bayley continued her walk to her house, where she'd try _yet again_ to get some answers out of Seth and the others. _'Today has to be the day I finally get some kind of answer. I just hope it is,'_ Bayley thought, as she began her walk up the hill that led to her house. Reaching the top and climbing the steps that led to the front door, Bayley pushed open the door and was surprised to see Seth, Roman, Dean, and Sasha all gathered at the kitchen island.

Seeing Bayley coming inside the house, Seth said "Ah, Bayley. You're finally home. We've been waiting for you."

"I was talking with Sami about some stuff, so I decided to walk home with him today," Bayley began before catching on to Seth said. "Wait. What do you mean you guys were waiting for me? What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all," Seth said, hoping to calm Bayley down so that she wouldn't panic. "It actually has to do with what we're going to do with Dean and Sasha."

"Does...this have anything to do with what they've been talking about for the past few days?" Bayley asked, a big swell of excitement starting to rise within her.

"It does, actually," Dean piped up from where he was sitting at the kitchen island. "Look, Bayley. We want to apologize for being so secretive around you. It hasn't really been fair to you, and we've been feeling a bit bad about it."

"It's just that we wanted to make sure that what we're about to do is really going to work," Sasha added in."

"What do you mean what you're about to do? What? What is it?" Bayley asked, her anxiety building with each question she asked and everything the older Gems told her.

"What Dean and Sasha are saying," Roman cut in to help keep Bayley from becoming an overly curious ball of questions "is that Dean's found a way to help Sasha fix her Gem."

Hearing the brunette Gem say this, Bayley couldn't help but feel quite surprised. So, none of the other Gems blamed her when they saw her smile and ask "Whoa! Seriously?!"

 **So far, it looks like things are off to a pretty good start here. Sure, Bayley was kept a bit in the dark about just what the other Gems were talking about, but it looks like she got her answer in the end in Roman and the others telling her that Dean's found a way to help Sasha fix her Gem. And just this news alone is enough to make Bayley feel pretty excited. Just what is this way of fixing Sasha's Gem that Dean found? And why does it seem like something that will take all of the Gems together? These questions shall be answered over the course of this arc, one question getting an answer sooner than the other. So, until the next chapter (which I promise won't take too long for me to post), don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	37. Healing Sasha (Part 2)

_"It does, actually," Dean piped up from where he was sitting at the kitchen island. "Look, Bayley. We want to apologize for being so secretive around you. It hasn't really been fair to you, and we've been feeling a bit bad about it."_

 _"It's just that we wanted to make sure that what we're about to do is really going to work," Sasha added in._

 _"What do you mean what you're about to do? What? What is it?" Bayley asked, her anxiety building with each question she asked and everything the older Gems told her._

 _"What Dean and Sasha are saying," Roman cut in to help keep Bayley from becoming an overly curious ball of questions "is that Dean's found a way to help Sasha fix her Gem."_

 _Hearing the brunette Gem say this, Bayley couldn't help but feel quite surprised. So, none of the other Gems blamed her when they saw her smile and ask "Whoa! Seriously?!"_

 **So, after being told that Dean found a way to help fix/heal Sasha and her Gem, what's to come next for Bayley and the Gems? Read on to find out down below, my loves. =)**

Roman could only snicker at Bayley's outburst while Seth went on to explain. "Yeah. Seriously. And, now that you're here, we can finally show it to you."

"O-O-OK!" Bayley chirped, feeling excited over getting to finally learn just what this way of healing Sasha was going to be. Setting her backpack on one of the chairs in the living room, the ponytailed brunette walked over to join the other Gems, who had all stood from their seats and began to walk from the front area of the house to the back hallway that Bayley remembered taking the day Dean got her the ocarina to take to school. Walking past that door, the group of five continued their walk as they took a left turn at the end of the hall and walked a bit further before stopping outside of the door that was at the end of that hallway. Standing outside of this door, Bayley was surprised to see that the door looked fairly normal, save for how the doorknob looked and the strange panel that lied in the center of the door; a quick glance up also showed a color wheel coming out from the wall with an arrow nailed in the wall of it that was pointing at one of the wedges in the wheel.

Looking at this door, Bayley said "Wow. I didn't know we had a door that looked like this in the house."

"That's because it's a secret door," Dean began to explain. "It's a door that we sometimes use for official Gem business."

"Would fixing Sasha's Gem count as official Gem business?" Bayley asked. Seeing Dean nod, Bayley said "Wow. That's pretty cool. So, just how does this door work? Do you guys just open it to some room that Sasha's going to go into?"

"Umm... Well, yes and no to that, Bayley," Dean said. Seeing the confused look on the ponytailed brunette's face, the sandy blonde Gem let out a bit of a laugh before continuing with his explanation. "You see the panel on the door and the color wheel beside it? Each one of these colors corresponds to each of our Gems. So, whenever one of us wants to open this door, all we have to do is use the power of our Gem to open it. Wanna see how it works?"

"Yeah, I do!" Bayley excitedly chirped, an excited smile on her face.

Letting out another laugh, Dean said "OK, runt" as he ruffled Bayley's hair before stepping toward the door. Closing his eyes, Dean pulled down the collar of his grey tank top to expose his white Gem.

Watching as all of this happened, Bayley wasn't quite sure what to make of what Dean was doing until what she saw next gave her a good idea of what the sandy blonde was doing, along with giving her quite a nice surprise: A light beamed outward from Dean's Gem to the white circle in the panel on the door that seemed to help turn the color wheel on the wall to the white section. Once the white section had lined up with the arrow, a white light shone all around the door frame. Opening his eyes, Dean then reached out and opened the door, revealing on the other side a fairly lush and green landscape.

Blinking in surprise over what Dean did with the door _and_ the fact that she was looking into what she could only guess was a forest of some sort, Bayley could only say "Whoa, Dean. That was so cool!"

Dean only grinned while the other three shared a laugh at Bayley's surprise. They had a feeling that Bayley would be surprised to see something like this, so actually getting to see and hear her surprise was a pretty funny treat for them. "Glad you think so. Now comes more cool stuff. Come on."

"Wait. You mean you guys want me to come along with you?" Bayley asked, feeling surprised to hear this. Since this seemed to be what Dean called "official Gem business", Bayley didn't thnk she'd get to go along with the others; so hearing Dean say that she could come along was quite a surprise.

"Of course," Dean answered. "Bayley, look. I know it seems like we keep a lot of stuff from you. But, it's only because we want to make sure you'll be able to handle learning about your Gem heritage. We're sorry if it seems like we keep a lot of stuff secret from you, but we want you to know now that we'll tell stuff we want you to know about in time."

"I understand, Dean," Bayley nodded after getting this explanation from the sandy blonde. "While I really do wish I knew more about Gem stuff, I get why it is that you guys don't rush to tell me so much all at once. Plus, I know Mom would like that you guys are doing things this way."

"I'm sure she would, too," Dean smiled at Bayley's mention of Natalya. He could still remember that part of the blonde and pink-streaked Gem's final wishes were for Bayley to learn more about just what the Gems are and what they were capable of doing, so the fact that Bayley sounded okay with how they were going about letting her know more Gem stuff had Dean feeling that their way was working just fine. Clearing his throat around his momentary swell of pride, Dean gestured forward as he asked "Well, now. Shall we go?"

Looking back to Seth, Roman, and Sasha to see that they all had fairly eager looks on their faces, Bayley nodded as she said on behalf of the others "Yeah, Dean. Let's go on this quest to help heal Sasha!"

Laughing at Bayley's eager excitement, Dean turned to look at what lied ahead for the group of Gems. "Here goes! To helping heal Sasha. Let's go!"

 **Looks like Operation Heal Sasha/Fix Sasha's Gem is a go, with the nice and adorable addition of Bayley to the group. =D With the Gem group now rounded out, it looks like they can now go forward with their quest led by Dean to help heal Sasha and fix her Gem. Should be quite the interesting journey ahead, especially considering where they're going to be travelling...which appears to be a forest of some sort (crazy power, the door has...which is a pretty big reference to an anime movie I love). So, what lies ahead in their quest? That shall come in the next chapter. Until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(On the note of the next chapter, I actually have it all ready to post. I'm just gonna let this chapter hang around a bit before posting the chapter after it. ;9 )**


	38. Healing Sasha (Part 3)

_Clearing his throat around his momentary swell of pride, Dean gestured forward as he asked "Well, now. Shall we go?"_

 _Looking back to Seth, Roman, and Sasha to see that they all had fairly eager looks on their faces, Bayley nodded as she said on behalf of the others "Yeah, Dean. Let's go on this quest to help heal Sasha!"_

 _Laughing at Bayley's eager excitement, Dean turned to look at what lied ahead for the group of Gems. "Here goes! To helping heal Sasha. Let's go!"_

 **So, with the last chapter having the niceness of Dean and the other Gems letting Bayley tag along in their quest with Dean to help heal Sasha/fix Sasha's Gem, just _how_ will their quest go? Well, here's...part of their journey onward. Read on to find out just what happens to our Gems and I hope you all enjoy, my loves. =)**

 **(Heads-up: This chapter has actiony parts ahead, so I hope you all like the action that I've included in this chapter. =) )**

Walking forward, the group of five filed through the doorway and into the lush greenscape that awaited them. After making it through, Dean closed the door before going back to join the others. "OK. Now that that's taken care of, let's begin the journey."

While Bayley had heard what Dean said, she couldn't seem to contain her overall surprise at the area surrounding her: She could clearly tell that they weren't in the house anymore as, all around Bayley, there was lush grass covering the ground and trees all around, some of which had vines covered in flowers of different colors and sizes coming down from the higher branches. Just seeing all of this- _and this all came from them stepping through a door in the house_ -had Bayley feeling absolutely amazed.

Seeing the look of pure amazement on Bayley's face, Seth, Dean, Roman, and Sasha all shared a look that seemed to mirror the same feeling; and that feeling was happiness that they were getting to show Bayley a bit more in the way of the world they were once fully apart of. So, seeing the look on Bayley's face now...it was something more in the way of validation for what they were doing now.

Clearing his throat, Roman said "Dean, maybe you should start to lead us on the way to where you plan to go. After all, we can't forget why we're here."

"Right, right. I hear you, Rome," Dean nodded, his goal back on his brain. "OK now, everyone. Follow...me!" Beginning to make his way down a path that was in the middle of the trees in front of the group, Dean led the group's way through the trees as he led their way to where he hoped he'd be able to help heal Sasha and her Gem.

The group's walk started out fairly calmly enough. ...It wasn't until they had gotten a fair distance into the trees that it seemed like trouble wanted to rear its head. And that trouble came in the form of...

"Oh my god! What _is_ that thing?!" Bayley tried, but ultimately failed, not to scream as she pointed at a section of the trees ahead.

Looking ahead to where Bayley was pointing, the other four Gems immediately summoned their weapons as they all braced themselves for the giant dark red two-tailed Gem scorpion that was slowly inching its way towards the group as it cleared down trees left and right with its two tails. As seen as the hulking creature saw the five, it let out an almost deafening growl as it sped over to where the Gems were.

Seeing this monster heading their way, Roman pushed Bayley behind him as he said "Stay back." With Bayley now behind him, Roman gave Seth, Dean, and Sasha the go to launch an attack on the scorpion, with Dean making the first move and lashing out with his whip with a yell in the hopes of grabbing hold of one of the beast's tails. Seeing that this was a success, Dean shouted "Sash, I need yours, too!" Hearing this from Dean, Sasha lashed out with hers in a similar manner as hers grabbed hold of the beast's other tail. With Dean and Sasha having firm holds on the Gem scorpion's tails, Seth charged in with his staff raised and ready to slice off whatever he could, this _whatever_ being the stinger of one of the scorpion's tails, which drew a screech of pain from the Gem beast. Seeing that the creature was a bit incapacitated, Roman decided that now was his chance to make a move as he charged in and, leaping into the air, came down with a yell as he struck the beast through an exposed area on its back. His gauntlets connecting with the area he was aiming for, Roman flew back as the beast let out one last screech before exploding into a cloud of smoke, only leaving behind a dark red hexagonal Gem that landed on the ground. Walking over to the Gem, Roman knelt down next to it and, holding one of his hands over it, encased it in a sky blue glass ball before shrinking it down to a size that he could carry in his pocket. Standing as he turned to look back at his fellow Gems, Roman said "Good work, everyone. That Gem scorpion was no joke."

"You got that right, Ro," Dean agreed. Looking back to Bayley, who was fairly surprised by what all just happened, Dean couldn't help but snicker at the ponytailed brunette. "Thanks a bunch for the heads-up, Bayley. You really helped us out back there."

"I-I-It was nothing, Dean," Bayley just barely managed to get out, still feeling surprised by the fight she just bore witness to. Even though she had seen Dean, Seth, and Roman take care of Gem beasts a few times before, actually getting to see the other Gems work together as such a cohesive and powerful team...it just left the ponytailed brunette feeling fairly shocked and surprised.

Seeing that Bayley still seemed surprised by all of what she just saw, Seth couldn't help the snicker that seemed to come out of him. "Dean really did mean it, Bayley. Thanks for letting us know about the Gem scorpion. Chances are we probably wouldn't have seen it before it was too late."

"Like I said, it was nothing, Seth," Bayley smiled with a blush, a feeling of pride in what she did to help starting to rise in her a bit.

Sharing another smile with Roman and Sasha, Dean again began to lead the way onward to where the destination he had in mind was hopefully still standing. Making their way through another section of trees with the only thing in the way of other Gem creatures they came across being some fairly harmless Gem insects and the occasional Gem rabbit or Gem squirrel-that Bayley couldn't help but want to stop and pet before remembering the objective at hand-the trek through the trees went fairly without a hitch. The group was almost to the edge of the forest they were walking through when a low hiss could be heard coming from behind the group.

No one seemed to hear this at first until Seth looked over and saw Sasha spin around, her whip at the ready and Bayley turning back to look with Sasha, a look of nervous fear coming across her face. "Bayley, Sasha? What is it? Did you two hear something?"

Hearing Seth ask this, it was Dean and Roman's turn to feel confused before turning around along with Seth and seeing just what it was that the other Gems were seeing. And what the others were seeing was a rather large dark green and white Gem centipeedle heading their way. The taller Gems had summoned their weapons, but they weren't quick enough in trying to launch an attack as, the next thing they knew, the centipeedle lashed out with its tail and tried to go for a straight sweep of the Gems.

"Everyone, move!" Roman barked upon seeing this. While he, Dean, and Seth were quick enough to leap out of harm's way, the brunette Gem had forgotten about Bayley and Sasha on the ground. Seeing the two Gems still on the ground, Roman yelled "Bayley, Sasha, get out of the way!"

Looking up to see and hear Roman yelling down at her and Bayley, Sasha looked over to see that Bayley was fairly frightened of the Gem beast that lied before them. Making a judgment call as the centipeedle's tail got closer to them, Sasha yelled "Bayley, watch out!" as she dashed over to the ponytailed brunette. Once she was close enough to Bayley, Sasha shoved Bayley out of the tail's way. ...But, what Sasha didn't factor in was how quickly the centipeedle would lash out, so, before she knew it, the magenta-haired Gem felt a section of the Gem beast's tail connect with her back before sending her flying into a nearby tree.

Seeing this had Bayley feeling worried enough. It wasn't until she saw what happened after Sasha hit the tree that her worry basically flew through the roof: Watching as Sasha collided with the moss-covered bark of a nearby tree, Bayley watched in horror as Sasha let out a scream of pain before exploding into a cloud of smoke and her cracked Gem fell to the forest floor. Not even caring that there was a dangerous centipeedle nearby, Bayley couldn't help but scream _"Sasha, NO!"_ as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

 **...*nervously scratches the back of my head*...OK, to anyone that I _may have_ freaked out with how I ended this chapter, it honestly felt like something that would work in the chapter given what I'm covering in this arc. Now, fear not, dear readers! Sasha will be...mostly okay. Yes, she got poofed (to borrow a term from Steven Universe) back into her Gem, but she'll be okay...honest! As for poor Bayley, I think the poor cinnamon roll saw something that's _definitely_ going to stick with her a bit. Hopefully, the other three'll fly back in to help out soon before the centipeedle sets its sights on Bayley (which _definitely_ wouldn't be good). Until next time, which shall bring about the resolution for this fight and how the others are going to handle Sasha being back poofed back into her Gem, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	39. Healing Sasha (Part 4)

_Looking up to see and hear Roman yelling down at her and Bayley, Sasha looked over to see that Bayley was fairly frightened of the Gem beast that lied before them. Making a judgment call as the centipeedle's tail got closer to them, Sasha yelled "Bayley, watch out!" as she dashed over to the ponytailed brunette. Once she was close enough to Bayley, Sasha shoved Bayley out of the tail's way. ...But, what Sasha didn't factor in was how quickly the centipeedle would lash out, so, before she knew it, the magenta-haired Gem felt a section of the Gem beast's tail connect with her back before sending her flying into a nearby tree._

 _Seeing this had Bayley feeling worried enough. It wasn't until she saw what happened after Sasha hit the tree that her worry basically flew through the roof: Watching as Sasha collided with the moss-covered bark of a nearby tree, Bayley watched in horror as Sasha let out a scream of pain before exploding into a cloud of smoke and her cracked Gem fell to the forest floor. Not even caring that there was a dangerous centipeedle nearby, Bayley couldn't help but scream "Sasha, NO!" as tears began to roll down her cheeks._

 **So, after the moment of "Oh, no!" that happened with Sasha taking the centipeedle attack roughly and Bayley left reeling in shock over what happened to Sasha, what happens next? Read on to find out, my loves. =)**

Still up in the air, Dean saw this happen and felt the need to move into action before the centipeedle struck out again, as he feared that Bayley was next in the Gem beast's path. Not even waiting for Roman to give him the go-ahead, Dean dived down and landed on the ground between Bayley and the centipeedle, his whip out and at the ready to try to take down the Gem beast.

"Oh, you are _so_ gonna regret hurting one of my friends, you acid-spitting _monster_!" Dean shouted before lashing out with his whip and connecting with the side of the centipeedle's face. Hearing the shriek of pain he got from the Gem beast, Dean struck out again, this time connecting with the other side of the centipeedle's face. The sandy blonde Gem continued with this pattern of strikes before deciding that it'd be best to go for the final blow. So, lashing out with his whip and grabbing the centipeedle within its length, Dean proceeded to fling the centipeedle and send it flying upwards in Roman and Seth's direction, where the other two Gems both attacked it once it reached them, causing the Gem beast to explode into a cloud of smoke and a spherical light green Gem to fall to the forest floor.

Watching as Seth did to this Gem that Roman did to the Gem from the Gem scorpion, Dean looked over to where Bayley had since moved over to where Sasha's Gem had fallen to the forest floor. Walking over to the ponytailed brunette, Dean rested a hand on her head, which caused Bayley to gasp in surprise and look up at the sandy blonde Gem, a few tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Bayley, don't worry. It's okay. Sash'll be just fine."

"But, Dean, she... She-" Bayley barely managed to get out before she began to shake from a few sobs that escaped her.

"Bayley, it's fine," Seth said as he and Roman came to join the other two. "What happened with Sasha, it's something that tends to happen with us Gems at times."

"Wh-What do you mean, Seth?" Bayley asked, still not following what the Gems were getting at.

"Well, what Dean and Seth are trying to say is that this is something we Gems can do. Sometimes, when our bodies are too badly damaged, we retreat into our Gems to try to heal ourselves," Roman explained. "Sasha was doing something like this when she was in her Gem in the brooch for so many years."

"So, you guys are all saying that Sasha's okay?" Bayley asked, having a slight grip on what the other Gems were saying. Seeing the others all nod, Bayley let out a sigh of relief as she wiped the tears from her face. "That's good. I'm just glad that she's more or less okay."

"She will be, Bayley. Just don't worry. Besides, once we get her to where we can heal her up, she'll be good as new," Dean reassured with a smile.

"Right," Bayley nodded with a sniffle as she wiped the remaining tears from her face. Reaching over to pick up Sasha's Gem, Bayley cradled the magenta Gem close to her. "Don't worry, Sasha. I'll keep you safe until we get to wherever Dean says we can heal you. Then once we get there, we'll heal you up good as new."

Seeing and hearing Bayley as she spoke to Sasha's Gem had the other Gems feeling that it was a good thing that they let Bayley tag along on this journey, even though there had been some quite obvious hiccups along the way so far. They could only hope that whatever Dean had in store for healing Sasha would be just the thing to help fully heal the magenta Gem.

Taking his hand from Bayley's head, Dean said "We should get going. After those two Gem beasts, who knows how many more are lying in wait out here?"

"Right," Bayley nodded. Standing up, Bayley fell into step with the other Gems as they continued along the path that lied ahead of them, with the older Gems having their weapons drawn in case another Gem beast dared show its face to the Gem quartet. After making their way through a dense patch of trees-that were taken down with ease, thanks to Seth and his staff-they reached a clearing that had the windowless ruins of a large stone tower mostly surrounded by more greenery like what they just came through.

Stepping ahead of the group, Dean said "OK, guys. We're here."

"Huh. Been a while since we've really set foot back here," Seth stepped forward with Roman and Bayley following him. "Last time I remember coming here was a number of centuries ago when we were first really trying out the door."

"How'd you manage to come across this area, Dean?" Roman asked.

"Well, I remembered that when we first came here, this tower seemed like a real hub for Gem healing and stuff. Then, when I came back here once when I got hurt pretty bad, I decided to try out what you can do to heal yourself inside, and...it actually worked," Dean explained. "So, I figured...maybe we could try fully healing Sasha here."

"Do you really think this'll work, Dean?" Bayley asked, her grip slightly tightening on Sasha's Gem.

"I'm think and I _know_ that this'll work," Dean confidently smiled at Bayley. "Just have faith in my idea, Bayley. All we have to do is take Sasha in here, and we'll be able to heal her up just fine."

"O-OK, Dean," Bayley nodded, even though there was stil a bit of nervousness that lingered in her thoughts.

Looking over to see that Bayley still seemed fairly nervous about this idea of Dean's, Roman rested his right hand on the brunette's head. Seeing Bayley look up at him, Roman said "Bayley, I think we should trust Dean on this. He usually has a good head for stuff like this, so we shouldn't really doubt his judgment on this."

Looking over to see Seth nod his agreement to this, Bayley still didn't all that on board with Dean's idea, mainly because she had no idea if what Dean had planned was going to work all that well. It wasn't until she felt Sasha's Gem warm a bit in her hand and she looked down to see the surface of the Gem glow a bit-almost as if Sasha was trying to say "You can trust Dean, Bayley. He knows what he's talking about."-that the ponytailed brunette finally began to feel that Dean's idea could in fact work. _'After all. If Sasha trusts this idea of Dean's, and Roman and Seth do too, then I guess it really could work.'_ Nodding her head, Bayley looked up at Dean. "OK, Dean. Let's give this a try. Let's just see if this idea of yours will really work."

"That's the spirit, Bayley," Dean said, his grin turning into a smile. "Now, come on. Let's head inside, and get to healing Sash!"

"Yeah!" Bayley chirped, as she fist pumped with her empty hand.

The Gem quartet headed forward towards the tower and had just stepped through what was the entryway of the building when-

"Guys, look out!" Bayley shouted, holding a hand out and summoning a big enough shield that protected her, Dean, Roman, and Seth from the gushing jet of water that was blasted their way.

"What the-?!" Dean shouted, his whip summoned the second Bayley shouted and summoned her shield.

" _Who dares to enter my tower?!_ " shouted a far-off sounding male voice.

 **Man, the Gems just can't seem to catch a break in their quest to help heal Sasha. First, Sasha gets poofed back into her Gem (which isn't that bad since, as we learned, it's a way of Sasha trying to heal herself on her own). Then, once they finally _do_ make it to where Dean proposed they try to heal Sasha, they're attacked by some unknown enemy. At the rate things seem to be going, Sasha might not get healed (which would _not_ be good, considering the fact that the Gems seem so determined to help the magenta-haired cinnamon roll get fully healed). =( We'll just have to see if they can get past the random challenger that seems to be a fellow Gem that can control water and calls the tower his domain. Until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(OK. Random weird request from shiki: Lately, I've had a few ideas bouncing around in my head for a future fic involving Bayley and Sasha Banks written in a femslash fashion (coming off of a two-shot I wrote for Valentine's Day starring them called 'A Friend For Valentine's Day'). Now, if any of you guys that read that would be interested in seeing me take on writing more femslash starring them, swing by my page and vote in the poll I have up if you'd like. =) )**


	40. Healing Sasha (Part 5)

_The Gem quartet headed forward towards the tower and had just stepped through what was the entryway of the building when-_

 _"Guys, look out!" Bayley shouted, holding a hand out and summoning a big enough shield that protected her, Dean, Roman, and Seth from the gushing jet of water that was blasted their way._

 _"What the-?!" Dean shouted, his whip summoned the second Bayley shouted and summoned her shield._

 _"Who dares to enter my tower?!" shouted a far-off sounding male voice._

 **So, after the surprise of finding that there seems to be someone guarding the tower Dean lead the Gems to, just who is this mystery person? Read on to find out, my loves. =)**

Stepping forward after the jet of water subsided, Roman explained "We mean you no harm. We're only hear to heal one of our own. After we do that, we'll be on our way", his gauntlets summoned in case of another attack.

The voice didn't say anything until it asked of the group _"How did you know that healing could be done here?"_

"That's...actually because of me," Dean began as he slowly stepped out from behind Bayley's shield. "You see. One of our friends has a pretty bad crack in her Gem, and I remembered that this place was one where other Gems could come to heal themselves of any injuries they may have. So, I figured that me and my other friends here could use the healing properties of this tower to help heal our friend with the cracked Gem."

"That's all we ask to do here," Seth spoke up as he stepped forward to join his fellow Gems. "If you would just let us do what we can to try to heal our friend here, we'll leave and we won't be a problem for you."

While this mystery voice still seemed a bit apprehensive of these newcomers to his tower, there was honestly something in their words that made him begin to feel that he could trust this group a bit. _"Very well. But first, allow me to greet you all who want to heal one of your own here."_

"OK," Roman said. In a low voice, he said to the others "Everyone, stay on your guard. We don't know if we can trust whoever this is, so keep your guard up."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Dean smirked a bit, his grip on his whip tightening a bit.

"Right," Seth nodded, raising his staff.

"R-Right," Bayley piped up from behind her shield. While the ponytailed brunette still wasn't quite sure what to expect whenever this mystery Gem joined her and the others, she could at least take comfort in the fact that Roman, Dean, and Seth were ready in case of another attack. Now, ...now all she had to do was keep herself and Sasha's Gem safe in the event of another attack.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew the attention of the group as they soon found themselves being joined by who they guessed was the source of both the voice and the attack that greeted them when they first entered the tower: Walking towards the group was a man that was the same height as the male Gems, who had long brunette hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and was dressed in a fairly loose fitting sleeveless light blue shirt, long pants a slightly darker shade of blue, and a pair of sandals. What was also something that seemed to be other discerning traits of this approaching man were the trio of leather bands that adorned both of his arms and a sky blue Gem with a smooth surface in his upper right shoulder. While the Gems couldn't seem to feel anything in the way of evil intentions from this man-who they could now see was a fellow Gem-they still remained on their guard in case things took a different turn from now.

Stopping in front of the group that was standing before him, the male smiled before saying "Greetings, travelers. Welcome to my tower. You all may call me Rob."

"Rob talks kinda like a grandpa," Bayley blurted before quickly closing her mouth in fear of having said something that might have made this new Gem mad.

Hearing Bayley say this, Roman and the others assumed something in the way of a defensive stance between the ponytailed brunette and Rob before being caught completely by surprise by the ponytailed man shaking a bit with laughter.

Having come down from his laugh, Rob said "Sorry about that. I was trying to sound sagelike and wise, so I'm sorry if I might've weirded out the young one that's with you all."

"It... It's no problem at all," Dean finally managed to say as he managed to relax himself, with Roman and Seth following suit.

"You'll have to pardon our young friend," Seth began to explain. "You see. Bayley hasn't really had much in the way of contact with other Gems before, so when she meets others, she can sometimes be surprised by how they speak."

"So I've noticed. She seems like a bit of a baby herself," Rob pointed out. "Well, in comparison to you and your other friends, that is."

"That's because in a way, she is," Seth added. "Bayley's only been around for 13 years now, so there's still quite a lot about us Gems and our culture that she doesn't know."

"Well, it seems to me that she'll have some fine teachers in you and the others with you in learning about just what we are," Rob smiled as he cut a quick look to Bayley before looking back to Seth.

"Thanks for that," Dean grinned. "We've been doing what we can to help teach Bayley everything we know about us Gems, so thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Hey, it's no problem, man," Rob said with a bit of a shrug. "Now, back to the business you all came here for. You said you have a friend you wish to heal?"

"Yeah, we do," Dean nodded. Turning back to Bayley, Dean eased the ponytailed brunette by saying "Bayley, it's okay now. Rob says it's cool that we heal Sasha here. You don't have anything else to worry about."

"O-OK," Bayley said a bit nervously with a nod. Willing away her shield, Bayley walked forward where she stood between Roman and Seth.

Seeing the young brunette come forward to join the others, Rob smiled again before saying "Alright! Now, if you all would follow me, I can take you to where you can heal your friend."

Watching as Dean, Seth, and Roman all fell into step with and followed behind Rob, Bayley still found herself feeling a bit nervous about whether she and the others really _could_ trust Rob and if his method of healing Sasha would really work. _'Even though Dean and the others seem to trust Rob, how do we know for sure we can really trust what he says? What if his idea for how we can heal Sasha doesn't work? What if-_ ' Bayley found her worried train of thinking cut off by the feeling of Sasha's Gem warming slightly in her hand again. Looking down at the surface of the cracked magenta Gem, Bayley asked "Really, Sasha? You trust Rob, too?" Seeing the surface glow a bit just like earlier, Bayley a bit warily said "Well, ...OK, Sasha. If you and the guys think that we can trust Rob _this much_ , then I guess we can give using what he has to heal you a try."

Having noticed that Bayley wasn't with him and the other Gems, Dean turned back to see that Bayley was standing back where they had first entered the tower. "Bayley, come on! We've got to give this a try for Sasha so that she can be healed, remember?"

"R-Right, Dean! Sorry!" Bayley nodded. Looking from Dean back down to Sasha's Gem and back up to Dean, Bayley took a deep breath in before letting it out and dashing over to join the older Gems. _'Since Dean and the others seem to have so much faith in what Rob can do, and since they all seem to trust him so much, I guess I probably should too. I just hope that whatever he has that can help heal Sasha will work.'_

 **So, despite the rather violent welcome, it would appear as though he who dwells in the tower is actually quite the mellow fellow in a Gem named Rob (I'm using Rob Van Dam here as, ...well, he just strikes me as the type of person (or Gem, in this case) that would be a water controller and one who could help heal others). Reasonably so, Bayley's nervous about Rob and his supposed healing method since she and the others don't know anything about this new Gem. But, after having a talk (of sorts) with Sasha and with Dean's reassurance, the ponytailed cinnamon roll feels a bit more trusting in this new Gem and his method. So, next chapter (which might be the last for this arc (not sure yet)), we'll get to see just what Rob's idea for healing Sasha is _and_ if it'll work. Until then, don't forget to R&R please. =)**

 **(Random bit of shiki fangirling goes here: There is a new Steven Bomb block of episodes coming NEXT WEEK and it is looking like _quite_ the bomb that's gonna get dropped on us from what I've seen in one of the trailers. Seriously, it's just looking like it's gonna be so many levels of damn crazy, and I can't wait for all of it (no matter how much I feel like people are probably gonna be hella shook from it)! =D )**


	41. Healing Sasha (Part 6)

_Seeing the young brunette come forward to join the others, Rob smiled again before saying "Alright! Now, if you all would follow me, I can take you to where you can heal your friend."_

 _Watching as Dean, Seth, and Roman all fell into step with and followed behind Rob, Bayley still found herself feeling a bit nervous about whether she and the others really could trust Rob and if his method of healing Sasha would really work. 'Even though Dean and the others seem to trust Rob, how do we know for sure we can really trust what he says? What if his idea for how we can heal Sasha doesn't work? What if-' Bayley found her worried train of thinking cut off by the feeling of Sasha's Gem warming slightly in her hand again. Looking down at the surface of the cracked magenta Gem, Bayley asked "Really, Sasha? You trust Rob, too?" Seeing the surface glow a bit just like earlier, Bayley a bit warily said "Well, ...OK, Sasha. If you and the guys think that we can trust Rob this much, then I guess we can give using what he has to heal you a try."_

 _Having noticed that Bayley wasn't with him and the other Gems, Dean turned back to see that Bayley was standing back where they had first entered the tower. "Bayley, come on! We've got to give this a try for Sasha so that she can be healed, remember?"_

 _"R-Right, Dean! Sorry!" Bayley nodded. Looking from Dean back down to Sasha's Gem and back up to Dean, Bayley took a deep breath in before letting it out and dashing over to join the older Gems. 'Since Dean and the others seem to have so much faith in what Rob can do, and since they all seem to trust him so much, I guess I probably should too. I just hope that whatever he has that can help heal Sasha will work.'_

 **So, just what will Rob's way of helping heal Sasha entail? Read on to find that out down below, my loves. =)**

Walking along with the older Gems, Bayley looked around at the inside of the tower and was quite in awe of all that she was seeing: All around the ponytailed brunette, there were stone statues of what looked like warriors from different periods of time-"looked like" being key, as many of the statues were crumbling and missing parts of their structures-there were support pillars that helped to support the second floor of the tower, and there seemed to be doorways that possibly led to other rooms. It all just seemed to be so amazing for the brunette to see that she didn't notice that the four older Gems had stopped walking until she had walked right into the wall at the end of the corridor they traveled down.

"Ouch!" Bayley hissed as she bounced off of the wall and stumbled back to where the other Gems were standing. Looking up to see just what she had walked into, Bayley was surprised to see that what she was looking at was a rather high and wide stone door with a panel similar to the one on the door back in the house in the center of it, the most defining characteristic of the door being a fairly faded painting of what looked like ocean waves. _'This must be where Rob says we can heal Sasha.'_

Taking a look at the door, Dean asked the question that was on Bayley's mind "So, I'm guessing we can go through here to heal our friend?"

"You'd be right in thinking that," Rob nodded in confirmation. "The room through here is one where in years before, others of our kind would heal themselves here after battles that were waged. Hopefully, this is what you all were looking for." With the four Gems watching him, Rob held out his right arm with his hand palm up as the Gem in his upper arm glowed which caused a space in the door to glow light blue before opening up to reveal a rather spacious room that was lit by plants many giving off a soft glow with a large rounded pool in the center of the room with a smaller area helping close off the room. Lowering his hand, Rob smiled before saying "Behold! The room of healing!"

Stepping forward with Roman, Dean, Seth, and Rob, all Bayley could say to what she was seeing was an amazed "Wow." And she had thought the sights of the woods they traveled through were quite spectacular to see; seeing this room was on a spectacle of beauty all its own. Looking over to Rob, Bayley asked "And you're sure that Sasha'll be healed in here?"

"I'm positive, Bayley," Rob reassured the young brunette after remembering her name. "All you'll have to do is take your friend Sasha over to the pool, place her into the water, and just let the room work its magic."

Looking from Rob down to Sasha's Gem to the large pool of water that gave of what the ponytailed brunette could only say was a calming light, Bayley took a breath before saying "OK. Guys, let's heal our friend."

"You got it, Bayley," Dean smiled down at Bayley with Roman and Seth mirroring the sandy blonde Gem.

Walking forward with the other Gems following her, Bayley made it to the edge of the pool before stopping and looking down at the surface of the water. Seeing as the water calmly rippled a bit, Bayley said "Sasha, I'm about to put you into this pool. Rob told us that the water in it'll heal you, so ...I hope me and the others can see you with a fully healed Gem after this." Feeling the magenta Gem warm a bit again and seeing the surface glow again, Bayley nodded her head before holding the magenta Gem to her one last time and then slowly placing the Gem into the water in a shallow end of the pool where she decided to peer into the water and keep an eye on Sasha's Gem.

As Bayley kept an eye on Sasha's Gem, Seth said "We thank you again so much for letting us heal our friend here, Rob."

"It's no problem, Seth," Rob said. "Anything I can do to help out fellow Gems that may need it."

"We sure needed the help, too," Dean added in. "Sasha's Gem has been cracked for a fair number of years now, so I'd been researching ways to possibly fix it. Then I remembered this place, so I'm glad it's still standing after so many years."

"Yeah. It helps that there doesn't seem to be much of a Gem presence around here," Rob nodded. "I've been here for a fair number of years myself, and I've been living here in peace, save for the occasional Gem beast that'll wander in here."

While Seth and Dean talked with Rob, Roman had walked over to join Bayley as she watched Sasha's Gem, where he sat down on the ground beside the ponytailed brunette.

Looking over to see that Roman had joined her, Bayley said "Ro, I don't think this is working. Nothing's happening down there."

"Give it time, Bayley. After all, Sasha's Gem had a pretty bad crack in it, so I'm sure it's just taking a bit of time for the water to really help with healing her. Just be patient, and I'm sure she'll be healed up just fine," Roman reassured Bayley.

"R-Right," Bayley nodded a bit hesitantly before returning her gaze back to where Sasha's Gem sat in the water. She knew that what Roman said was right and that it would take time for the water to work its magic on the magenta Gem, but honestly speaking, ...the waiting was making Bayley feel antsy. In a bid to distract her mind, Bayley looked around the room and admired the greenery that had managed to thrive and flourish in the room: From what looked like clumps of moss covering a fair amount of the surface area of the walls to what looked like lilies growing out of the moss to the few flowering lily pads that floated on the surface of the pool's water, it just amazed Bayley that plant life like this could live in a room that didn't have much in the way of natural light filtering in. _'I wonder if Mom knew about this place when she was around. It sure seems like the kind of place that she'd know of,'_ Bayley thought, her hand unconsciously moving to touch the Gem that sat in her belly button.

Looking over to see Bayley admiring their surroundings and the way she was touching her Gem, Roman couldn't help but let a slight smile slide across his face. It was always a goal of the older Gems' to teach Bayley more about what they were and their world, so seeing Bayley taking in some of the beauty that could come from the Gem world made the brunette Gem feel pleased that their little trip had turned out as well as it did...save for the obvious with Sasha getting poofed back into her Gem. The brunette Gem was almost set to say something when a surprised gasp from Bayley drew his attention to where there was a glowing wave of light coming out from the pool.

"Roman?! What's happening? What's going on?!" Bayley asked, feeling worried that something might be going wrong with how Sasha's Gem was healing.

With the other Gems coming over to join him and Bayley, Roman had a fairly good idea of what was happening. Finally managing to find his words, Roman said "I think Sasha's about to come back to us."

 **Wow! Could it be that the pool Bayley put Sasha's Gem into has worked its magic and healed Sasha? It sure seems like it since that what Roman's thinking and since that was what Rob told the others. We'll have to wait and see on this...next chapter (which will probably be the chapter that ends this arc). So, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	42. Healing Sasha (Part 7)

_Looking over to see Bayley admiring their surroundings and the way she was touching her Gem, Roman couldn't help but let a slight smile slide across his face. It was always a goal of the older Gems' to teach Bayley more about what they were and their world, so seeing Bayley taking in some of the beauty that could come from the Gem world made the brunette Gem feel pleased that their little trip had turned out as well as it did...save for the obvious with Sasha getting poofed back into her Gem. The brunette Gem was almost set to say something when a surprised gasp from Bayley drew his attention to where there was a glowing wave of light coming out from the pool._

 _"Roman?! What's happening? What's going on?!" Bayley asked, feeling worried that something might be going wrong with how Sasha's Gem was healing._

 _With the other Gems coming over to join him and Bayley, Roman had a fairly good idea of what was happening. Finally managing to find his words, Roman said "I think Sasha's about to come back to us."_

 **Ooh, could it be?! Could this truly be when Sasha comes back to the Gems fully healed? Read on to find out, my loves. =)**

"Wha-You really mean that, Ro?" Bayley asked, immediately beginning to feel hopeful at the brunette Gem saying this.

"That would appear to be the case," Dean cut in. Looking over to Rob, Dean asked "We're not that far off from thinking that, are we?"

"No, you are not," Rob confirmed Dean and Roman's thinking. "It would appear that your friend is fully healed of what wounded her."

"Whoa, really?!" Bayley asked, feeling excited hearing the sagely Gem say this. Seeing Rob nod to answer her question, Bayley returned her gaze back to where she had placed Sasha's Gem in the water and felt immensely pleased by what she was seeing: The light that came up from where Sasha's Gem sat slowly began to spread outward and form into a humanoid form that was the size of Sasha when she first formed after Bayley popped her Gem out of the brooch. Moving back from the pool's edge, Bayley stood back with the other Gems and watched as the glowing humanoid form stood up and faced the group.

Standing fully from the pool as water cascaded down her body, the light that had surrounded Sasha slowly faded away as it revealed the magenta-haired Gem ...with a brand new look: Her original monochromatic outfit was now replaced with a short-sleeved magenta blouse and a pair of light blue skinny jean capris. With the light having fully gone, Sasha was left standing in the pool of water, looking quite confused about why she was standing in a pool of water. Looking ahead to the group that was standing in front of her, Sasha asked "Can...someone explain to me why I'm wet? And ...why am I standing in water?"

No one in the group said anything for what seemed like a stretch of time as they all tried to process what they were seeing before them. While Rob only had a calm smile on his face, the other Gems were all showing a wide array of emotions: Roman and Seth were both surprised to see that the pool's water had yielded such a favorable effect, Dean was smiling widely at seeing that Sasha looked better than she was before and at the fact that the method he had rediscovered seemed to have worked, and Bayley-

"SASHA!" Bayley all but yelled as she ran forward and wrapped her arms around the magenta-haired Gem tightly as relieved tears began to roll down her face, not caring that the two were still in the water.

Feeling caught quite by surprise by Bayley's sudden-and quite tight-hug, Sasha just barely managed to keep her balance as a laugh escaped her. "Whoa, Bayley. Where's the fire?"

Pulling away from the magenta-haired Gem, Bayley wiped at her face before saying "I'm sorry, Sasha. It's just, ...I'm just so happy right now. You're back!"

"Yes, I am. I needed a bit of time in my Gem to really heal myself up a bit after taking that centipeedle attack wrong. But, I believe that, along with this water, really helped heal me fully heal myself," Sasha said. Reaching around to her back to feel her Gem, Sasha's eyes widened in surprise when she felt a now fully smooth surface of her Gem.

"Sasha, what is it? Is everything okay?" Bayley asked, seeing the look on Sasha's face.

"Yes, Bayley, everything's okay," Sasha answered, a smile starting to spread across her face. "It's just my Gem, it...it's not cracked anymore!"

"Really?" Bayley asked. Wanting to see for herself, Bayley moved around behind Sasha and saw that the magenta-haired Gem wasn't lying: In the area of Sasha's upper back where her Gem was, Bayley saw that Sasha's Gem no longer had the crack in it that she saw when she first saw Sasha's Gem and was now a full Gem. A wide smile of her own starting to cross her face, Bayley said "Guys, it's true! Come take a look!"

As Roman and Seth walked over to see for themselves, Dean stayed back to talk with Rob.

"Thank you again so much for letting us make use of your pool here," Dean said. "Sasha's Gem had been cracked for a while now, so I'd been trying to find ways to possibly heal it. Which led me to finding this place."

"Like I said, it's no problem at all to help out fellow Gems that may need it," Rob reassured with a smile. "And this certainly seemed like something that you all needed help with."

"We sure did," Dean agreed with a nod. "And, I hate to come off like a jerk when I say this, but we should probably be heading back to where we live now."

"No need to feel that way. I understand completely. After all, it hasn't been that often that I've come across fellow Gems that were in this area, so I'm guessing you all must have traveled a ways to get here," Rob mused. "It'd probably be for the best that you all leave when you can, so that way you don't run into anything else out there."

"Yeah, good thinking," Dean nodded in agreement. Looking back over to where Bayley and the others were all talking, the sandy blonde Gem couldn't help the smile that crossed his face before saying "Hey, guys. I think we should all get to heading back soon. Wouldn't want to run into anything else out there that'll hurt anyone else, would we?"

"No," Seth called back over to Dean. Turning to look back at Bayley and Sasha, Seth said "Girls, it's time that we get to heading back home soon."

"OK, Seth," Bayley nodded as she stepped out of the pool with Sasha following behind her.

Having stood in wait of Seth and the others until they came to join him, Dean and the group let Rob lead them back to the main area of the tower that they had all came into.

With the group all at the entrance to the tower, Sasha turned to look up at Rob before she and the other Gems left. "Rob? I would like to thank you for letting my friends bring me here and to let me heal myself. My Gem's been cracked for a fair number of years now, so it feels great to have a whole Gem again."

Before Rob could respond to Sasha, he found himself getting caught in a hug from Bayley as he could hear the ponytailed brunette saying "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you _so much_." Laughing a bit as he patted the brunette on the head, Rob said "It's no problem, the both of you. I've always seen myself as someone that helps our fellow Gems out in their time of need, so this was no big deal. Now, if I was you two, I'd be following along with your friends before they get too far into the woods."

Seeing that Roman, Dean, and Seth had already walked off and were almost to the edge of where the woods, Sasha said "Right! Come on, Bayley, let's go."

"OK, Sasha!" Bayley said, pulling away from Rob as she dashed over to join Sasha. Looking back at Rob one last time, Bayley said "Thank you so much for letting us come here and heal Sasha, Rob!" before seeing Rob wave them off with a smile and turning and rejoining Sasha as the two Gems left and went to catch up with Roman, Dean, and Seth before they got too far away.

Having heard the girls come up behind him and the others, Dean let out a laugh before saying "Well. It's about time you two decided to come and join us."

"We were just saying our goodbyes to Rob, Dean. That's all," Sasha briefly explained as soon as she and Bayley were back with the other Gems. Moving to walk beside Dean as the quintet made their way through the woods on the path they took to reach Rob's tower, Sasha said "Oh, and Dean? I, ...I wanted to say thank you. I can tell that you really did a lot to try to find a way to help with healing my Gem, so ...I'm glad you were able to find a way to help me in the end."

"Hey, it's no problem, runt," Dean shrugged. A grin starting to slide across his face, Dean said "Besides, it was pretty fun fighting alongside you again after so many years on the way to Rob's tower."

"Yes, that ...that actually was quite fun," Sasha agreed with a light laugh. "Reminded me of when we'd be the main team offensive that really helped with taking Gem beasts down in the past."

Looking over to see Sasha and Dean talking with each other-and even more when they got back to the door that led back into the house and once they were in the house-Bayley couldn't help but feel happy about how their journey to heal Sasha went. Sure there were a couple of hiccups along the way with the Gem beasts that had came after them and Sasha getting attacked and sent back into her Gem, but in the end, the ponytailed brunette felt that the journey was a success because Sasha now had a fully healed Gem and they met a new Gem and helper in Rob. _'This is definitely one of the craziest Gem adventures I've been on with everyone, so I'm glad that things turned out so well in the end. And, just think. Now, Sasha won't have to worry about her Gem being cracked anymore,'_ Bayley thought as she walked into the living room area and finally collapsed on the couch, the fatigue from the day finally settling over her as she lied down and rested after their big adventure to heal their friend.

 **And with this chapter ends the 'Healing Sasha' arc. It was pretty fun working with and coming up with another area that the Gems can now visit. And let's not forget that the group has A) made a new friend/found a new possible comrade in Rob, B) Sasha has a new look, along with her Gem being fully healed, and C) Dean and Sasha are back on good terms with each other again (much better than they were before). So much great stuff happening here! \\(^u^)/ Now, the start of the next arc souls be coming soon, so keep an eye out for that. So, until then, don't forget to R &R please, and I will see you all in the beginning of the next arc. =)**


	43. Meeting Tyson (Part 1)

**Hello, dear reader peeps, old and new, that are reading this. I come to you all today bringing the beginning of a new arc that I shall title 'Meeting Tyson' as...well, you'll just have to follow along to find out just why it's called that. ;P Hope you all enjoy the start to this new arc, my loves. =)**

Ever since she had heard the story from Seth about her mom and her dad, Bayley was feeling pretty anxious to one day meet Tyson. ...Although, every time she would find herself getting excited about getting to meet her dad, the ponytailed brunette would also end up feeling a slight sense of discouragement when she remembered Seth saying that Tyson was busy with helping out as a wrestling trainer, so that was something that she always kept in mind whenever thoughts about her dad crossed her mind.

...However, the ponytailed brunette's ponderings about one day getting to meet Tyson had gotten to a point that it seemed to distract her from things happening around her, her distracted mind being quite prevalent while she was at school.

"Thanks again so much for bringing this to my attention, Stephanie," Roman said one afternoon he had gotten called to Bayley's school for a parent-teacher conference. "I'll be sure to have a talk with Bayley when we get home."

"It's no problem at all, Roman," Stephanie reassured from behind her desk. "I just wonder what could be on Bayley's mind so much lately. From what I've learned from her teachers, she doesn't have any exams coming soon. ...Is everything okay with her at home?"

"Of course they are!" Roman answered a touch too defensively before calming himself down and resuming his talk with the brunette woman. "I think she's just feeling a bit anxious because, just the other day, one of her uncles told her about another uncle that she's yet to meet and she _really_ wants to him. We just haven't had much luck with getting in touch with him because he has a job that takes him out of the state."

"He sounds like a pretty remarkable man if Bayley's so eager to meet him," Stephanie smiled upon hearing all of Roman's story. The brunette woman had a feeling about how Bayley was feeling because she'd remember times when she was younger that she'd go stretches of time without seeing her own father because of the fact that he was a businessman.

"He really is," Roman said, smiling a bit at the memories he had of Tyson helping care for Bayley when she was a baby before his work called him out of state. "If I could just figure out how to get a hold of him..."

"Well, maybe I could be of some help to you there," Stephanie suggested. Seeing the surprised look on Roman's face, Stephanie said "As a faculty member, I never like to see any of my students feeling down or upset about anything, so I try to help them out the best possible way I can. Perhaps, ...I can help you in your mission to track down this uncle of Bayley's."

Feeling surprised at Stephanie-a stranger whose only really tie to him and the others was that she was one of the people that helped oversee Bayley's education and her safety at school-was so willing to help in their quest to track down Tyson. And, the more he thought the brunette woman's offer over, the more he felt that _maybe_ getting help from a human could be just as much of a help as it being just him, Seth, Dean, and Sasha trying to track down Tyson. So, taking the brunette up on her offer, Roman nodded before saying "OK, Stephanie. I'll take you up on your offer. Besides, my brothers and I could use all the help we can get with trying to track down Bayley's other uncle."

"Great! Now, if you could just tell me his name, I can start trying to see if I can find him anywhere on the Internet," Stephanie smiled as she grabbed a pen and a loose piece of paper to write down the information Roman was about to give her.

"OK. Well, his name is Tyson Kidd, and he..." Continuing on as he gave Stephanie as much information as he could that would be of help to the prinicpal, Roman was beginning to feel a bit better that he was getting some other help in the Gems' search for Tyson. He knew that Bayley could only take being in the dark and not getting to meet her dad for too long before she'd try to strike off on her own to find him, so getting help and expanding their net felt like just what they needed. _'Now, all I have to do is just be patient and wait to see if Stephanie'll have any luck on her end,'_ Roman thought as he stood from his seat and, after shaking Stephanie's hand, left the office to head back home where he could rejoin his own search back at home with Seth, Dean, and Sasha.

 **Wow. Talk about some roller coaster feelings here, huh? First there's Bayley wanting to some day meet her dad (Tyson), then there's Roman's meeting with Stephanie where they talk about how Bayley's been feeling lately, then there's Roman mentioning Tyson (who, as far as Stephanie knows is another uncle of Bayley's, since Roman took up the mantle of being called Bayley's dad at school), and _then_ (lots of then's here...*laughs a bit*) there's Stephanie offering to help Roman and the other Gems in their search for Tyson...a lot's happening here. With such a joint effort like this, will they be able to track down Tyson? This shall be answered over the course of this arc. So, until next chapter (which I hope won't take too long for me to get written up), don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	44. Meeting Tyson (Part 2)

**So, after the start of the 'Meeting Tyson' arc, just what lies ahead next? Read on to find out, my loves, because I think you all might like this chapter. =3**

"OK, and you can stop running the ropes in 3, ...2, …1, _aaaaand_ STOP! OK, great hustle out of everyone today. You can all go shower up and head home for the day," the brunette man that was coaching the group of teenagers in the wrestling ring said.

Clapping with a smile as she watched the teenagers head to the back, conversations being heard among the group, a blonde-haired woman said "I gotta say, Tyson, it's incredible how much you and Antonio being out here has really helped me out with the group."

"It's no problem, Beth. Anything we can do to lend helping hands to wrestling schools that need it, we'll do our best to help out," the brunette man, Tyson Kidd, said with a smile. And he had to say, this was definitely one of the more excited groups of teenagers he helped with coaching, what with a a good number already visualizing themselves in a wrestling ring in the future.

"And we definitely needed your help here, too. I swear, for as much as I love training the teens that come to my school, so many of them are just too ready to do what they see on TV. I appreciate their determination, but I just wish they'd slow things down and learn the basics first _before_ moving on to bigger moves," Beth said with a shake of her head.

"At least with me and Antonio here helping you out, your students know that basics come before the bigger moves. I just hope that after we're gone, they'll remember what we've taken the time to teach them and apply that to their own in-ring styles," Tyson said.

"I'm sure they will. Everyone seemed to really like what you and Antonio taught them, so I'm sure they'll make sure to keep what you've taught them close to them," Beth smiled. "And, I really would like to say thank you so much. You coming here has been a _huge_ help to me."

"It's no problem, Beth," Tyson smiled. "Now, just remember. If you need my help with anything in the future, just send me an email or give me a call, and I'll come back and help you out."

"I'll keep that in mind," Beth smiled. "And, again, thank you so much for your help here. Make sure you tell Antonio the same thing when you see him."

"I definitely will. Don't have to worry about anything there," Tyson said with a light laugh. Giving the blonde woman a hug, Tyson made for the double doors that lead out of the main training area of the Phoenix Academy for Rising Wrestlers. Stepping out into the warmth and breeze of the spring day, Tyson walked along the sidewalk back to the hotel room he was sharing with his good friend and fellow wrestling coach Antonio Cesaro, the brunette man reflected on the fact that today was his last day here before the duo head back to their hometown of Emerald Pines. It had been a fair number of years since he last really saw the place that had so many memories for him, and he was feeling quite ready to get back home and take a much-needed break. Reaching the hotel where he was staying, Tyson headed inside and, after waiting for and riding the elevator up to his floor, went to his room where he found Antonio lying on his bed with an ice pack on his shoulder. "Still icing that shoulder?"

"Yeah. I appreciate Ryan's enthusiasm yesterday during Irish Whip practice, but it felt like the kid almost yanked my arm out of its socket," Antonio, a tall bald man dressed in a white muscle shirt and black gym shorts, said as he readjusted the ice pack he had on his shoulder.

"At least we know that'll be one of his better moves to use in a match," Tyson said with a bit of a laugh as he walked over to his bed and, taking a seat on the comfortable mattress, got his laptop from beneath it and turned it on so that he could check his emails.

"That is true. Can't deny that," Antonio agreed. "I'll just be glad when we get back home to Emerald Pines. I love this job, don't get me wrong, but I just can't wait to see Aksana and Claudio after so long."

"Yeah, that…that's cool, man," Tyson said, his mind not quite in the conversation at that point. While he knew that Antonio missed his wife and son quite a bit, Tyson couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of the fact that Antonio _had_ a family he could go back home to. Ever since what happened thirteen years ago, the brunette had been feeling somewhat hesitant to return to Emerald Pines because of the fact that …well, he just didn't feel quite ready to face his past there. But, he knew it was going to have to happen if he ever wanted have something in the way of closure over what happened. Tyson had been so wrapped up in his own inner thoughts that, when he finally snapped of his inner thought bubble, he was both surprised and a bit confused to see an email from a stephmcmahon with the subject of "Regarding Your Niece". _'My niece? I don't have any nieces. Maybe I should open this and see what it's about.'_ Opening the email, Tyson read over the message in its entirety a few times, his heartbeat starting to pick up a bit. He honestly couldn't believe what he was reading right now. His daughter Bayley was in school now, and she, along with her uncles-he guessed that the woman that sent him this email must mean Roman, Seth, and Dean-were trying to find him because Bayley was curious about meeting him.

Looking away from the movie he was watching, Antonio looked over to see the surprised look on Tyson's face. "Tyson? Everything okay over there, mate?"

Hearing Antonio call him, Tyson snapped out of his daze and looked over to his friend. "Sorry, man, I wasn't paying attention. You ask me something?"

"Yeah. I was wondering if everything's okay with you over there. I look away from John Wick for a couple of seconds to see you spaced out looking at your laptop. Everything cool?" Antonio asked, feeling a bit worried about his friend.

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, everything's cool. I was just thinking about how I can't wait to get back home to Emerald Pines," Tyson said. And, in that moment, he wasn't lying. The last time he had even seen his daughter was when she was a baby, almost a year old, so the fact that the principal of his daughter's school was emailing him and telling him that she'd like to meet him felt like something in the way of a sign that he _had to_ head home and try to do what he can to introduce himself to Bayley and do what he can now to become a part of his daughter's life.

…

 _A Few Days Later_

Bayley had been pacing around the living room area in circles ever since she had really gotten ready for the day. Earlier in the week, she had gotten called to Ms. McMahon's office and, after having a talk with her principal, was told that she was successful in finding Tyson and that he would be coming back to Emerald Pines in a few days. With the big day finally here-a Friday, as a matter of fact-Bayley was just feeling nervous, even more nervous than she did when she first started going to school. She just couldn't believe that the day was finally here that she'd get to meet her dad. _'I just hope he'll like me when he meets me,'_ Bayley thought, her hands bunching and unbunching in the skirt of the light pink and plaid dress she had gotten from her Aunt Naomi for Christmas.

As they watched Bayley pace around, Roman, Seth, Dean, and Sasha weren't quite sure of how to help the ponytailed brunette calm down. After all, with this being a pretty big day for her, they could understand why she was feeling nervous…they just wanted Bayley to calm down a bit before Tyson got here. Seth was almost set to get up and walk over to Bayley when knocking at the door got the attention of all five Gems.

Rising from his seat, Dean walked past Bayley to the door, where, after a look through the peephole, he opened the door to who was on the other side. "Well, it took you long enough to get here."

 **So, yeah, I decided to go with going ahead with bringing Tyson into the fold of the story. In a way, I actually felt that going with introducing Tyson right off the bat was the best way to bring him into the fold of the story. Plus, this way, we get to see just what Tyson's work as a wrestling school instructor was really like (I probably didn't do the best job here, but I feel like I did an okay enough job), the school he's helping at being a wrestling school run by a woman named Beth (Beth Phoenix, to be exact...had to include the Glamazon here). *clears my throat a bit* Moving on! Looks like Tyson got quite the surprising email relating back to his daughter Bayley, one that's got him quite ready to head back home so that he can make the acquaintance of his teenaged daughter. Jumping over to Bayley and the Gems, our ponytailed cinnamon roll's quite the nervous one as she's trying to prepare herself for meeting her dad. A little bit of waiting later, there's a knock at the door that Dean answers to a visitor on the other side. Just who is this mystery visitor (that should be fairly obvious...X3)? Their identity shall be revealed...next chapter! So, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	45. Meeting Tyson (Part 3)

_Bayley had been pacing around the living room area in circles ever since she had really gotten ready for the day. Earlier in the week, she had gotten called to Ms. McMahon's office and, after having a talk with her principal, was told that she was successful in finding Tyson and that he would be coming back to Emerald Pines in a few days. With the big day finally here-a Friday, as a matter of fact-Bayley was just feeling nervous, even more nervous than she did when she first started going to school. She just couldn't believe that the day was finally here that she'd get to meet her dad. 'I just hope he'll like me when he meets me,' Bayley thought, her hands bunching and unbunching in the skirt of the light pink and plaid dress she had gotten from her Aunt Naomi for Christmas._

 _As they watched Bayley pace around, Roman, Seth, Dean, and Sasha weren't quite sure of how to help the ponytailed brunette calm down. After all, with this being a pretty big day for her, they could understand why she was feeling nervous…they just wanted Bayley to calm down a bit before Tyson got here. Seth was almost set to get up and walk over to Bayley when knocking at the door got the attention of all five Gems._

 _Rising from his seat, Dean walked past Bayley to the door, where, after a look through the peephole, he opened the door to who was on the other side. "Well, it took you long enough to get here."_

 **So, just who was Dean talking to at the door? The mystery visitor's identity shall be revealed...IN THIS CHAPTER! =D I hope you all enjoy the chapter, my dolls. =)**

"I know. Sorry about that. I had my alarm set to make me up earlier, but I slept through it. Traveling long distances can really wear a person out, so I'm just trying to sleep off that exhaustion," the person Dean was talking to said with a slight laugh.

"I'd imagine it is," Dean said, a laugh of his own escaping him. "Well, don't just stand outside all day. Everyone's inside waiting for you."

"I'll bet they are," the person said. Being heard taking a breath, the person then said "OK. I'm ready. I'm ready to see everyone."

"That's the spirit. Don't worry, everyone's been looking forward to seeing you as well. So, come on in," Dean said before turning on his heel and walking inside.

Hearing Dean say "Come on in", Bayley's head snapped up as she stopped nervously playing with her skirt and she found herself joined by Seth, Roman and Sasha. Watching as Dean walked inside with the person that was at the door following behind him, the ponytailed brunette swallowed to help fight the dryness in her mouth as she watched their guest approach her and the others: The new guest in the house was a man with fairly short spiky brunette hair, and was wearing a white and blue striped polo shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of white and blue Nike tennis shoes. As Bayley watched this man come to a stop at the front of her and the others, she could see that the man was looking down at her just as her gaze went upward to meet his eyes.

Looking between both Bayley and their guest, Seth cleared his throat as he rested a hand on Bayley's shoulder. "Bayley. This ...this is Tyson that I told you and Sasha about a few weeks ago. Tyson, ...this is Bayley and another fellow Gem, Sasha."

Remembering the story Seth had told her and Sasha about her parents, Bayley swallowed again to try to fight the dryness she began to feel before saying "Are ...are ...are you my dad?"

At first, Tyson couldn't bring himself to say anything as he looked down at the ponytailed brunette that was an older version of his daughter. After all, the last time he even saw Bayley was when she was a baby-almost a year old, at that. So seeing that his daugther had grown so much while he was gone had Tyson feeling quite surprised...and also, a bit sad that his daughter had grown so much in his absence. Shaking away his surprise, Tyson nodded as he said "Y-Y-Yes, Bayley, I am. I'm your dad. And, like Seth said, my name is Tyson. It's ...quite the pleasure to finally meet you again after so many yea-" Tyson barely had time to finish his sentence before he felt himself get almost taken off his feet as Bayley had ran forward and caught the older brunette in a tight hug as she buried her face in his shirt to hide the tears that were now streaming down her face. Feeling both the hug from his daughter and her tears, Tyson said nothing as tears of his own began to roll down his face and he returned Bayley's hug with an embrace of his own.

Seeing the embrace between Bayley and Tyson unfold in front of them, the other four Gems shared a smile that things had gone so well so far. Bayley was now reunited with her father, and Tyson was reunited with his daughter. This was all something that seemed to be escalating pretty quickly, so it came as a surprise to Seth, Dean and Sasha when Roman cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Tyson? Maybe you'd like to spend some time out with Bayley today. After all, it's been a while since you guys were together, so why not go out and spend the afternoon together somewhere?" Roman suggested.

Tyson wiped his face before saying "That sounds like a pretty good idea, Roman. What do you say, Bayley? You feel up for spending a day with me? So that we can both get to know each other?"

Looking up to meet Tyson's gaze, Bayley pulled away and, a smile on her face, nodded as she said "Sure!"

 ***insert any and all manner of Squee's and Squee-like reactions here* OK. So, it looks like the big father-daughter meeting between Tyson and Bayley went quite well...so far. Sure all they've done so far is share a hug, but it seems like the real test of things will be when Bayley and Tyson spend a day out together (at Roman's suggestion, surprisingly enough). Just how will their day out go? That shall come...next chapter. So, until then, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(*insert slight shiki94 apology here if I gave anyone flashbacks to Aquamarine with how Bayley first really identified Tyson as her dad* ^^,)**


	46. Meeting Tyson (Part 4)

_Seeing the embrace between Bayley and Tyson unfold in front of them, the other four Gems shared a smile that things had gone so well so far. Bayley was now reunited with her father, and Tyson was reunited with his daughter. This was all something that seemed to be escalating pretty quickly, so it came as a surprise to Seth, Dean and Sasha when Roman cleared his throat and spoke up._

 _"Tyson? Maybe you'd like to spend some time out with Bayley today. After all, it's been a while since you guys were together, so why not go out and spend the afternoon together somewhere?" Roman suggested._

 _Tyson wiped his face before saying "That sounds like a pretty good idea, Roman. What do you say, Bayley? You feel up for spending a day with me? So that we can both get to know each other?"_

 _Looking up to meet Tyson's gaze, Bayley pulled away and, a smile on her face, nodded as she said "Sure!"_

 ***claps my hands together* OK! A couple of things before getting into this chapter. I am SOOOOO sorry for taking so long to post this. In between freakish exhaustion, no Internet access for the past three weeks, and bombardment of ideas for coming arcs, I _really_ fell behind in trying to update. And, for that, I want to apologize to everyone that's been following this.**

 ***coughs* Now that my apology is out of the way, I give you all the last chapter of the 'Meeting Tyson' arc. Read on, and I hope you all enjoy, my loves.**

Leaving out of the house his daughter lived in with Seth and the others, Tyson headed down the hill that led into town, keeping a hold on Bayley's hand. This would mark the first time in years that he'd spend any real time with his daughter, so he wanted to make sure that it would be the first of many good days to come with Bayley. _'Besides, I owe it Bayley after not having been around here for her for so many years. I just hope she'll like spending a day out with me,'_ Tyson thought.

Looking over to and up at her dad and then back in front of her, Bayley still couldn't believe that she had finally met him. She had only ever heard stories about Tyson from Seth and the others, so actually getting to meet him was definitely something in the way of a dream come true for the ponytailed brunette. ...The only thing now was for Bayley to try to figure out something the two could talk about. _'He's my dad, after all. Can't be_ that _hard to talk to him,'_ Bayley mentally assured herself. Giving herself a nod of her head as a way of letting herself know to let her plan commence, Bayley looked back over and up to Tyson. "So, ...so, how have things with your wrestling schooling been going, Dad? I'd imagine that's a pretty interesting job to have."

"You wouldn't be wrong in saying that," Tyson said. "It's definitely an interesting job in that I get to travel around and meet a lot of people and teach people wrestling moves that are eager to learn them. I've always wanted to do something like this, so in a way, it feels like I'm living a dream come true."

"I'd bet you're a really great teacher if you travel around as much as you do and help so many people," Bayley smiled at hearing this.

"So I've been told by the people I help and teach. But, I wouldn't be half as good a teacher if I didn't have my friend Antonio coming along to help me out," Tyson said. "Speaking of Antonio, I'll have to make sure I introduce you to him, his wife Aksana, and their son Claudio soon. I'm sure they'd all like getting to meet you."

"That sounds great," Bayley smiled at the prospect of getting to meet people that her dad was pretty close to. "Oh, this all reminds me! I've got a lot of friends that I'd like to introduce you to soon, too."

"That sounds fine with me. Just introduce them to me whenever you want to," Tyson smiled at the prospect of getting to meet the friends that Bayley's made in his absence.

"OK, I will!" Bayley chirped with a nod.

The talking between the two brunettes had been going on for so long that it surprised them both when they finally made their way into the city. Reaching their destination, Tyson asked "Well, Bayley. Is there anything that you'd like to do today?"

"Hmm..." Bayley began to think on this. While there were a lot of places that she wanted to go with Tyson that were some of her favorite to go to, Bayley felt that it'd be best if they go to just one today; after all, there was always time in the future for them to have days out together. Finally deciding on somewhere to go, Bayley looked up and said "I think I know where we can go today, Dad."

"OK. That's great. Just say where, and that's where we'll go," Tyson said, curious to see just where his daughter wanted spend a bit of the day with him.

"Umm... Well, I know I probably shouldn't say this since it'll be dinnertime before I know it, but...there's an ice cream shop here that has _really good_ ice cream sundaes. I figure we can go there, and maybe have a little treat. Just the two of us," Bayley suggested with a small smile.

"That sounds like a great idea," Tyson said, answering Bayley's smile with one of his own.

"OK! Well, let me lead the way so that we don't get lost," Bayley chirped as she began to lead the way to where she wanted to go, her hold still on Tyson's hand. The walk had only lasted almost ten minutes before the duo reached their destination.

"Hey, I've actually been here before," Tyson said as he looked up at the sign for the ice cream shop, which read "Foley's Frozen Sweets".

"Really? You've been to Mr. Foley's place before?" Bayley asked, surprised to hear this.

"I have. In the past, that is. Your mom and I actually came here on a couple of our dates in the past," Tyson smiled as he told Bayley this as the duo walked inside.

"Wow. That's really nice that you and Mom actually came here," Bayley smiled at being told this by her dad.

"It really was," Tyson smiled at the memories he had with Natalya at this very place as he and Bayley took seats at a table for two. "It was always especially a bit funny seeing her eat ice cream. Sometimes, she'd get a bit too eager when it came to eating, so she'd eat it too fast at times and get brain freeze from it."

"She did?" Bayley asked, surprised to hear this. Seeing Tyson nod, Bayley couldn't help the bit of laughing that bubbled out of her. "Oh my gosh, that's so funny. I'll bet the cold ice cream was a pretty big surprise for Mom."

"It actually was," Tyson said as he laughed a bit himself. "But, it was something that I didn't mind seeing many times."

"That's really nice to hear," Bayley said with a smile. Even though brain freeze was something that seemed fairly weird for someone to like seeing happen to someone else, Bayley didn't mind hearing this story, as she knew that it was attached to fond memories her dad had with her mom.

"It is, isn't it?" Tyson responded. Seeing Bayley nod, Tyson couldn't help the warm feeling that seemed to well within himself. He was feeling very good about the fact that Bayley was taking so well to hearing about one of Natalya's quirks that she had. _'There's always time in the future that I can tell Bayley more about Natalya. But, today... I just want today to be about the two of us getting to know each other after so many years apart.'_

While Tyson was seemingly in thought about something, Bayley had taken to looking over a menu so that she could decide on just what she'd want to order today. _'Hmm... While I should just get something simple like my usual sundae, I want to try something different today. But, what should I try?'_ Her skimming of the menu didn't last much longer until her gaze landed on a new item on the menu. Looking up from the menu, Bayley said "I know what I want to order, Dad."

"OK. Let me flag down a waiter so that we can place our orders," Tyson said, before looking around the ice cream shop. His gaze landing on a waiter, Tyson waved the young man down.

Looking up as the waiter came to their table, Bayley smiled and said "Hey, Punk! I didn't know you were working today."

"Yeah. Well, Mick needed the extra hands since Matt and Nick had to go home and help their mom out with something. No big deal to me, as I could use the extra money to go towards mine and AJ's date this weekend," the waiter, a teen with black hair that went past his ears with a lip piercing called Punk, said with a shrug.

"I'm sure you and AJ will have fun with whatever it is that you guys do," Bayley said with a smile.

"Thanks, Bayley. I'm sure we will, too," Punk smiled back at the ponytailed brunette. "So, what can I get you and the gent with you today?"

"Well, first off, I want to introduce you both," Bayley said. Looking to Tyson, Bayley said "Dad, this is Phil Brooks, but a lot of people call him Punk. He's one of my friends that goes to the high school around here. Punk, this is my dad, Tyson Kidd. He's a wrestling teacher that just got back to town yesterday."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Kidd," Punk said as he took and shook Tyson's hand. "Bayley's a really nice kid. She comes here a lot, and she's always on her best behavior."

"I'd imagine she is," Tyson nodded as he returned the teen's handshake. "Thank you for keeping an eye out for her when she's here."

"No problem, sir. Anything I can do to help keep watch over the young ones," Punk said with a grin. "So, what can I get you both today?"

"I'll take a banana split," Tyson said. "Haven't had one of those in a long time."

"Nice choice," Punk said, writing down what Tyson wanted. "And for you, Bayley? Your usual?"

"No, not today, Punk. I want to try the new ice cream sandwich on the menu, the ChocoBerry Special," Bayley said.

"Great. You'll make the second person that's ordered this today," Punk wrote down what Bayley wanted. "Alright. Just give me about fifteen minutes, and I'll have your orders out to you both."

"OK!" Bayley chirped as Punk walked away.

"You sure seem to have some unique friends, Bayley," Tyson pointed out.

"That's one way of talking about them," Bayley giggled a bit. "I still have my friends from school that I want you to meet. I'm sure you'd really like them once you get to meet them."

"I'm sure I will if they're as nice as Phil is," Tyson smiled.

The pair had talked on like this for a few more minutes until, before they knew it, Punk had come back out with their orders. With their ice cream treats in front of them, Tyson and Bayley decided to enjoy what they ordered. Comments were made about what they had, tastes were shared with each other, and there was even a bit of brain freeze on Tyson's behalf that came from him eating his banana split a bit too quickly and was something that got a fair bit of laughter out of Bayley. Before either brunette knew it, they were both finished with their ice creams. With Punk having come back over to the table and Tyson paying for what he and Bayley ordered, the brunette duo left the ice cream shop with Punk saying "Thank you both for coming today. See you later."

Walking along on the sidewalk on the way back home as she held her dad's hand, Bayley looked up at Tyson. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yes? What is it, Bayley?" Tyson asked, looking down at his daughter.

"I, um... I just wanted to say Thanks for today. I had a really great time out with you. And, I hope we can do more stuff like this in the future," Bayley smiled.

"No problem, Bayley. And, don't worry. Antonio and I don't have any teaching dates coming up, so I'll be around for a while. That way, I can spend some more time with you and really get to know you," Tyson smiled.

"Great!" Bayley chirped, her smile not leaving her face. As she and Tyson continued their walk back to her house, Bayley just couldn't help the feeling of happiness that swirled about within her. In the course of one day, she was reunited with her long lost father, had a pretty great day out with him, and got to hear a pretty funny story about her mom. _'I can't wait to tell Seth and the others about my day out with Dad. They'll be so happy to hear about it!'_ Bayley thought, her smile softening a fair amount as she thought ahead to when she'd tell everyone at home about her day out with Tyson.

 ***happily claps* Yay, Bayley had a great day out with her dad/Tyson! Now, I know for some this was probably quite the sappy (and possibly abrupt) end to the arc, but I feel comfortable with how I ended it. Besides, like I included in the end of this chapter, there will always be time in the future for more adorable father/daughter bonding times. ...Granted, they might not be over more ice cream, but I'm sure they'll be just as sweet and adorable. *clears* Anyway! So ends the 'Meeting Tyson' arc of this story. I hope you guys all enjoyed it, and I hope you all will like what comes next in 'Bayley's Universe'. Don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(Now, I hope no one minds me including CM Punk, and mentioning AJ Lee, and Matt and Nick Jackson (the Young Bucks). I feel as characters, they would all fit in pretty well in later arcs, should I decide to really bring them into the story. =3 )**


	47. Haunted (Part 1)

**Happy almost Halloween, dear readers! ...OK. In honor of us being almost upon one of my favorite holidays of the year, I've decided to _finally_ work Halloween elements into an arc of 'Bayley's Universe'. Great, huh? =D Now, I obviously won't have this done for Halloween, so consider this an extended Halloween treat from me to all of you. =3 So, strap in, and get ready to enjoy the new arc, which I have titled 'Haunted'. I hope you all enjoy, my loves. =)**

It had come to be that time of the year. Fall descended on the town of Emerald Pines, with the first real telltale signs of the season coming in the month of October as leaves changed colors on the trees, with a good number of trees already in the early stages of losing their leaves. And with the month of October came annual prepartions for what the townspeople would do to celebrate Halloween at the end of the month.

"Wait. You're serious about that, Bayley?" Paige asked one day she, Bayley, and Becky were walking through the town on their way to the local bakery that was in town. "You seriously don't have anything in the way of plans for Halloween this year?"

"No," Bayley shook her head. "I've never really wanted to do much around this time of year, so I've always spent it with my dad and my uncles. And even then, we don't really do all that much."

"Well, what have you done in the years before this year for Halloween?" Becky asked.

While Bayley had a feeling that she was going to get asked this eventually, she wasn't exactly planning on letting two of her friends know about just what did in the years before this for Halloween. _'Besides, Becky and Paige'll think I'm a total loser if I tell them,'_ Bayley thought, biting her lip as she felt a slight warmth start to creep up her cheeks.

Seeing the look on Bayley's face, Becky tried to right the situation. "Well, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to, love."

"You sure about that?" Bayley asked.

"Of course! After all, what you do with your family is your own business. You don't have to tell us about what you all did. Just ...tell us if and when you want to. That's all," Becky reassured her friend.

"OK. Thanks for understanding here, Becky," Bayley smiled a bit as she gave the goggle-clad redhead a sidehug.

"No worries, love," Becky smiled a bit herself as she returned the ponytailed brunette's sidehug.

Seeing this exchange take place, Paige couldn't help the grin that crossed her face. "Aww. You two are just so adorable!"

Leaning over past Bayley to give Paige a light shove, Becky said "Really funny, Paige. Although, last I checked, I saw that there was nothing wrong with a friend giving another friend a reassurance talk."

"I know. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to say something about two of our adorable little pumpkins," Paige grinned.

"What can I say? I do have tendencies to ... _pumpkin_ people up for stuff," Becky responded with a grin of her own, as Paige groaned a bit at the Irish girl's wordplay and Bayley laughed a bit at it. "Now, let's go, girls! I've been wanting a pumpkin cookie all day."

"Yes, Becks," Paige laughed a bit as she watched Becky walk a bit ahead of her and Bayley. Turning to look to the brunette, Paige said "Becky's right, you know? I shouldn't have overstepped and tried to dig into whatever it is that you've done with your family in the past for Halloween. You can just tell us whenever you want to, should you decide you want to" before turning to go after Becky, who had already made it to the bakery.

Making her way to where her friends were waiting for her, Bayley let the talk she just had with the other girls bounce around in her thoughts. She knew that they were both right and that she could always tell them about her own Halloween traditions whenever she wanted, but there was still a lingering worry over just how her friends would react to just what it is that she'd do every year with Roman, Dean, and Seth. Shaking this away, Bayley let her mind come back to the present and the afternoon she was going to spend with her friends. _'At any rate, I've always got time in the future I can tell Becky, Paige, Sami, and Finn about what I do for Halloween. Until then, it's time for me to enjoy some pumpkin and spider cookies with my friends!'_ Bayley thought as she finally reached her friends and the trio headed into the bakery.

Heading over to and taking a seat at a three-seater table, the three girls took off their coats and sat in wait for not too much longer until a teenage girl with long dark brown hair came over to take their orders.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't three of my favorite people to see," the girl joked with a small smile.

"And a good October day to you too, AJ," Paige smiled up at the brunette. "Today been kind to you?"

"As kind as days like today can be," the girl, a friend of the trio named AJ Mendez, responded with a slightly annoyed sigh.

"Aww. Busy day, I'm guessing?" Paige asked.

"Yeah. Well, ...that, and I wasn't even scheduled to work today. But, I'm not going to complain much," AJ shrugged. "It just means I'll be making some extra cash to go towards my Halloween fund."

"That's the spirit, love," Becky encouraged from where she was sitting. "I'm guessing you and Punk are going on a trip or something?"

"Not quite, Becky," AJ began.

"Well, then, just what _is_ in the plans for the lovebirds for Halloween?" Paige asked, her curiosity quite piqued.

"Well, ...that's just the thing, Paige. It's kind of a bit of a secret thing Punk and I were going to do with some of our friends from school," AJ explained.

"Ooh, high schooler plans! Well now I feel like I just _have_ to know what you lot are all up to," Paige said, an excited note in her voice.

"Can't tell you that just yet, Paige," AJ shook her head. "After all, I'm not even sure Punk and the others have everything smoothed out in that area."

"Aww, come on, AJ! Can't you at least give us a hint? We won't go telling anyone. Honest! Right, guys?" Paige asked as she looked to Becky and Bayley to confirm this, which the other two girls did with nods. "See? They pretty much just gave you their word. So, _now_ can you tell us?"

"OK, OK, Paige! Geez, you're quite the eager little crumpet to find out what us big kids are planning," AJ said with a laugh at the Brit's want to know. Looking around herself, AJ then leaned in close to the table. "Look. This is just an idea that Punk and some of the others have been throwing around, but ...they were actually thinking about going to the old abandoned Bearer house and looking around inside it."

"Th-th-The Bearer house?!" Bayley nervously asked. "B-B-But, don't people say that that place is ...haunted?"

"I'm sure those are just old stories adults tell us so that we won't go in there and get hurt or anything like that. It's nothing to worry about, Bayley. Those are all just old stories, after all. Nothing to be too afraid of," AJ said as she tried to reassure the younger brunette.

"Yeah, i-if you say so," Bayley nodded, a slight smile on her face.

"Just relax, Bayley. I'm sure Punk and the others will think of something else that we can do, so ...hopefully that'll mean no abandoned house tours," AJ said as she pulled out a notepad and pencil. "So, in the meantime, what can I get for you three today?"

"One plate of your finest and freshest pumpkin and spider cookies and three hot chocolates with whipped cream, please," Paige said, taking the liberty to order for the table.

"All right," AJ said, writing down the order for the three. "Your order should be out in about ten minutes."

"OK, AJ!" Paige smiled as the older brunette smiled at the trio before turning on her heel to head back to help with preparing the trio's order. Turning back to her friends, Paige asked "Did you guys hear all of that?"

"Yeah. She said our order should be out in about ten minutes. Lucky break, huh?" Becky asked.

"No, not that, Becks. What AJ said she and Punk and some of their high school friends might do at the old Bearer house," Paige said as a slight mischievous grin starting to cross her face. "I say, ...we join our older friends on their trip there this Halloween."

 **A trip to an old abandoned house. That's certainly one way to spend your Halloween. One that Paige certainly wants in on...although, this _could_ be because she wants to hang with the older teens. Will this trip happen? You'll have to wait ...a chapter or two, depending on how Chapter 2 pans out for me (^^,). So, until then, don't forget to R&R please. =)**

( **For those curious about how Bayley and the Gems have spent Halloween in past years, I'll be working that into next chapter, so be prepared for some Halloween-themed cuteness. =3 )**

 **(Also, I apologize in advance if I made anyone cringe with my attempt at a pun. I at least tried to think of a funny one for Becky to use, so ...yeah, sorry for the cringe I may have caused. ^^, XD )**

 **(And to the Guest reviewer that wants me to go ahead with working on my next Bayley x Sasha femslash, please be patient with me. I'm trying to finish up a couple of my other fics first before I leap into posting anything new. That way, when I do _finally_ get to that story, I'll be able to focus a good bit of my attention on it. In advance, I thank you for both your patience and interest in that story of mine. =) )**


	48. Haunted (Part 2)

_Turning back to her friends, Paige asked "Did you guys hear all of that?"_

 _"Yeah. She said our order should be out in about ten minutes. Lucky break, huh?" Becky asked._

 _"No, not that, Becks. What AJ said she and Punk and some of their high school friends might do at the old Bearer house," Paige said as a slight mischievous grin starting to cross her face. "I say, ...we join our older friends on their trip there this Halloween."_

 **...OK. I know Halloween's over now, but we're still in the season of Fall, which always tends to conjure up spooky imagery for me. So, 'Haunted' shall continue! XD *coughs* Now, after that little note, let's move into Part 2, shall we? I hope you enjoy, my loves. =)**

"You can't be serious, right, Paige?" Becky asked, trying not to laugh at the Brit's suggestion.

"Oh, but I am, Becks. I'm _really_ serious," Paige asserted. "After all, what's wrong with us spending Halloween with the high schoolers?"

"Oh, nothing much. ...Oh, wait! I know! There's the fact that we're in _middle school_. And AJ and her friends are all in _high school_. _That_ making things clearer for you now?" Becky pointed out.

"And just why should that even matter? After all, we've all grown up in the same town as them and known them for years. So, who says that we can't go hang out with them?" Paige made her own point.

Sitting and listening as Paige and Becky went back and forth with each other-stopping only when AJ had brought out what they ordered and resuming said back and forth when the brunette high schooler had turned and left-Bayley was feeling a bit torn over who to side with. While Paige was making a good point about the different groups all having known each other for some time, Becky was also making a good point that it probably wasn't the best idea for a group of middle schoolers to join in on what the high schoolers were trying to do. So, doing what she felt was the smart thing to do, Bayley just drank her hot chocolate and ate a few of the cookies she was sharing with her friends as she sat and listened to the other two talk, even after they had left and later headed back to their own homes.

 _Later That Same Evening_

"The old Bearer house, huh? That's a place I haven't heard of in some time," Dean said as he scooped out the insides of the pumpkin he was about to carve.

"Really, Dean? You and the others know about that place, too?" Bayley asked, quite surprised to hear this.

"Well, we actually knew the owner when he was alive when we first got here, but not all that well. He tended to keep to himself quite a bit, so it was quite the surprise when everyone found out about his passing," Dean said as he continued his scooping.

"Huh. Well, if the old owner of the place had a reputation like that, I can't help but wonder why Punk and some of the other older teens want to go there," Bayley said, feeling confused after learning all of this.

"Who knows? Kids these days can be pretty strange. It's probably nothing all that much, and they just want to go somewhere that can be seen as a bit spooky," Dean said with a shrug. "It's probably nothing to really worry about."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Bayley shrugged, even though the whole business about Punk's Halloween idea was still weighing a bit on her thoughts. "Dean, I, uh,... I think I'm gonna head back inside and try to find something on TV to watch."

"OK. I'll just be out here putting the finishing touches on my jack-o'-lantern if you need me," Dean nodded.

"OK," Bayley giggled a bit at the sandy blonde Gem before turning on her heel and heading back inside. The ponytailed brunette had just walked back inside when Seth called her over into the kitchen area.

"She just came back inside. ...OK, just a second. Bayley, telephone for you," Seth said.

Curious about who would be calling her at this time of night-and on a school night, at that-Bayley walked over and took the phone from Seth, who went back to keeping an eye on what he was cooking.

"Hello?" Bayley asked.

 _"Hey, Bayley. I'm not calling you at a bad time, am I?"_ came Becky's voice from the other end of the call.

"Hey, Becky! Um, no, you aren't. I was just outside helping one of my uncles with something," Bayley said, carefully skirting what she was really doing. "What makes you want to call me at this time of night?"

 _"Well, ...I've been thinking about what Paige was saying earlier. I mean, after all, even though I don't want to admit it, ...she_ is _right when she says that there shouldn't be anything wrong with us hanging out with Punk and the other high schoolers on Halloween,"_ Becky said.

"So, ...what're are you saying exactly?" Bayley asked.

" _Well, if it would be okay with your dad and your uncles, maybe me, you, Paige, Sami, and Finn can go hang out with Punk, AJ, and their friends for Halloween,_ " Becky finally said.

"Gee, Becky. I, uh, I'm not so sure about that," Bayley said, a bit nervously.

" _Well, you don't have to make your decision right now. Halloween's not for another couple of days, so our plans might end up changing between now and then. When you do decide what you want to do, just let us know, OK?"_ Becky said.

"O...OK. I'll be sure to keep all of this in mind," Bayley said.

" _Great! So, I'll see you at school tomorrow,"_ Becky said.

"OK. See you then, Becky," Bayley said, ending the call. Pulling the receiver away from her ear and setting it on the kitchen island counter, Bayley walked over to the living room area, where she sat down in one of the chairs and absently turned her attention to the TV that was currently playing a movie Sasha seemed fairly invested in.

Turning her attention away from the movie, Sasha happened to see that she had been joined by Bayley, who ...didn't seem quite like herself. "Something appears to be troubling you, Bayley," Sasha pointed out.

"Yeah. Something is," Bayley nodded.

"Would you like to talk about what's on your mind?" Sasha asked.

"I'm ...not sure if I should. It's kind of silly," Bayley bit her lip a bit.

"Nothing can be too silly to talk about if it's something that's really on your mind," Sasha said. "Just talk to me, Bayley. I just want to help."

Biting her lip as she moved to sit beside Sasha, Bayley knew that Sasha was being genuine with what she was saying. After all, even though the magenta-haired Gem first formed herself back not too long ago, Bayley had found that Sasha had been a surprisingly great confidant. And, given how the ponytailed brunette had been having a bit of a dilemma as to what she should do for Halloween this year, she figured that maybe talking with Sasha could help her sort things out. "OK. So, you know that Halloween's coming up this Saturday, right?"

"I'm aware, yes. After all, I have been helping Seth, Dean, and Roman decorate the house in preparation for the trick-or-treaters. Why do you ask?" Sasha asked.

"Well, two of my friends want to go do something with some of our other friends on Halloween, and they asked me if I wanted to come along with them," Bayley began.

"That sounds like a fairly normal thing for humans your age to do during a day like Halloween," Sasha said. "But, why do you sound so unsure about this thing?"

"Well, while I _would_ like to go, I'm just not sure how to tell Seth and the others," Bayley continued. "Usually, on Halloween, I do stuff at home with them. When I was younger, they would take me trick-or-treating, which was always pretty fun. And, as I've gotten older, they've changed up what it is that we do, with it mostly being us dressing up in costumes and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters that come up here, followed by us eating popcorn and having a Halloween movie marathon, which is just as fun."

"Those all sound like fun plans, Bayley," Sasha smiled before continuing her talk with Bayley. "So, it sounds to me like you're torn between wanting to do both this year."

"Yeah. I am," Bayley nodded. "I don't want my friends to get upset with me. But, I don't want you, Dean, Seth, and Roman to get upset with me, either. Sasha, what should I do?"

"Hmm," Sasha pondered this. It sounded to the magenta-haired Gem that the main problem Bayley was facing was that she wanted to do both things for Halloween this year. _'Do both things. But, ...that would require Bayley being in two places at once. ...Two places at once,'_ Sasha thought before blurting "That's it!"

"Huh? What is, Sasha? What's it?" Bayley asked, feeling quite surprised by the magenta-haired Gem's sudden outburst.

Taking a quick look over her shoulder to see that Seth was still at work preparing dinner, Sasha leaned in close to Bayley, with the ponytailed brunette doing the same, and lowly said "I think I may have come up with a way for you to be able to be here and with your friends at the same time."

"Really? You do?" Bayley asked, feeling surprised to here this. Seeing Sasha nod, Bayley asked "Well, what is it, Sasha? What is it?"

 **Looks like we got a little glimpse into how it is that Bayley and the Gems have spent Halloween in previous years (may not be much, but I thought it was all nice, so...I'm rolling with it)...which is making how the ponytailed cinnamon roll wants to spend this year's a bit of a dilemma after her phone call with Becky. Good thing Sasha was there to talk with Bayley about what she should do. But, what's this? Sasha has a plan for how Bayley could possibly be both with the Gems _and_ with her friends for Halloween? Just what is this plan that Sasha ( _Sasha,_ of all of the Gems) has? This plan...shall be revealed in the next chapter. So, until then, don't forget to R&R please. =)**


	49. Haunted (Part 3)

_'Do both things. But, ...that would require Bayley being in two places at once. ...Two places at once,' Sasha thought before blurting "That's it!"_

 _"Huh? What is, Sasha? What's it?" Bayley asked, feeling quite surprised by the magenta-haired Gem's sudden outburst._

 _Taking a quick look over her shoulder to see that Seth was still at work preparing dinner, Sasha leaned in close to Bayley, with the ponytailed brunette doing the same, and lowly said "I think I may have come up with a way for you to be able to be here and with your friends at the same time."_

 _"Really? You do?" Bayley asked, feeling surprised to here this. Seeing Sasha nod, Bayley asked "Well, what is it, Sasha? What is it?"_

 **Many apologies for being so late with this. I've had to deal with some crazy family stuff, so that's been at the forefront of my focus on things. So, hopefully, this late (and out of season (not that I care, as it's never out of season to have some spookiness in your life XD )) update will be a good read for you all. Read on to find out what happens next and enjoy, my loves. =)**

The October days seemed to pass by as, before anyone knew it, Halloween descended upon Emerald Pines the last Saturday of the month. And with it came a range of activities: From an early day Halloween parade to a street fair that ran even into the night to the children of Emerald Pines all going out trick-or-treating, everyone was spending the day having fun in their own ways. ...But, unbeknownst to everyone, a certain group of teenagers had their own plans for the evening. Plans that wouldn't have been all that okay, had any of the adults knew what they were up to.

"I still think it's pretty neat that your dad and your uncles let you come with us tonight," Becky said as she, Bayley, Paige, Finn, and Sami made their way through town to where AJ, Punk, and their friends were all gathering to head to the Bearer house.

"Yeah, well, they decided that it's okay that I spend the year with my friends for once, so it was no big deal," Bayley said, in spite of the nagging bit of guilt she started to feel over her lie. "I'm just surprised that AJ, Punk, and the others are okay with us coming with them."

"You all have _me_ to thank for that," Paige piped up. "I used my masterful conversation skills and convinced them to let us all tag along."

"Meaning, ...you begged for a bit before threatening to let any of the adults know?" Finn teasingly asked.

Knowing that Finn was right, Paige said nothing as she looked away to hide the slight blush that had climbed up her cheeks and as her friends laughed at this.

Continuing her walk along with her friends to where they were going, Bayley talked with her friends some more as she found her thoughts drifting back to her house. _'I just hope Sasha's able to keep things under control there.'_

 _Back at Bayley's House_

"You all be safe heading back home now," Seth smiled as he waved off their latest pair of trick-or-treating visitors. Heading back inside, Seth said "Well, I guess we're almost at the end of getting our yearly visitors."

"Yeah, good thing, too," Dean said from he was sitting on one of the couches in the living room with Roman and watching a movie while eating some candy he had bought earlier in the day. "It was getting a bit annoying hearing knocking at the door every few minutes."

"Come on, Dean. You know that's to be expected every Halloween," Seth pointed out as he set the almost empty candy bowl on the kitchen island.

"Yeah, I know," Dean agreed with a shrug as he opened and then ate a piece of chocolate and Roman took a piece for himself, which resulted in Dean giving the brunette Gem a slight glare and Roman simply grinning with a shrug.

Laughing a bit, Seth walked over to where Sasha was sitting on the far side of the kitchen island. "So, how goes things over here, girls?"

"Everything's going fine, Seth," Bayley smiled up at the two-toned Gem. "I'm just finishing up my dinner before I come watch movies with you guys."

"And I'm just over here to give her some company as she eats," Sasha smiled.

"OK. Well, once Dean's done with his horror movie, we're going to watch The Addams Family next," Seth said.

"OK. We'll be over after Bayley finishes eating," Sasha said. Watching as Seth nodded before heading over to the living room area, Sasha let out a sigh of relief. _'Thank goodness Seth didn't notice anything off with Bayley. I just hope she won't be gone for too much longer,'_ Sasha thought as she thought back to just a few hours ago.

...

 _A Few Hours Earlier_

 _"OK, Sasha. I'm supposed to be meeting up with Paige and the others soon, so it's time to put our plan into motion," Bayley said as she stood in the living room area of the pretty much empty house with Sasha earlier that day after Dean, Seth, and Roman had left to go take care of a sudden Gem emergency._

 _"Right," Sasha nodded. Closing her eyes and taking a breath in before letting it out, the magenta-haired Gem soon found herself enveloped in a light purple glow that emanated from her Gem, said glow later splitting into two identical Sasha-sized forms. The light then slowly faded away to reveal Sasha standing in the bathroom...along with a mirror image double of Bayley._

 _"Wow!" Bayley surprisedly said as she walked forward and looked at her double. "I still can't believe this is something that us Gems can do."_

 _"It's nothing really," Sasha smiled with a shrug. "When the time comes for you to practice more Gem abilities, I'm sure you'll learn to do this."_

 _"It'd definitely come in handy," Bayley said as she stepped back. "So, you're sure this double of me will be enough to fool Seth and the others?"_

 _"I'm positive it will," Sasha assured the ponytailed brunette. "Just try not to be out too long tonight. It's been a while since I last really used any of my abilities, so I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this double of you up."_

 _"OK, Sasha, I won't," Bayley nodded. "Thanks again so much for doing this for me, Sasha."_

 _"It's no problem, Bayley," Sasha smiled. "Now, just remember what I said."_

 _"Right. Don't be out too late tonight. Got it," Bayley nodded. "Well, I'm about to take off. Wish me luck!"_

 _"Have fun with your friends, Bayley," Sasha smiled, waving the real Bayley off. Turning to the Bayley double, Sasha asked "So. How would you like to watch some TV with me, Bayley?"_

 _"That sounds fine to me, Sasha," the Bayley double said with a smile._

 _..._

 _Back to the Present_

Looking over to see that the Bayley double was just scraping her fork across an empty plate and bringing the empty fork up to her mouth, Sasha said "Bayley. Perhaps we should go join the others for our movie watching now."

"That sounds fine to me, Sasha," the Bayley double responded with a nod.

Climbing down from the stool she was sitting on with the Bayley double following suit, Sasha walked over to the living room to join the other Gems for their Halloween movie watching...as she silently hoped that she'd be able to keep the double up for just a bit longer.

 _At The Bearer House_

Looking up at the large house that lied ahead of her and the others in the group, Bayley swallowed a bit around the nervous lump that had started to gather at the back of her throat.

Looking over to see the look on Bayley's face, Sami said "Don't worry, Bayley. I'm sure it won't be ...too scary inside. This house looks to be in pretty good shape, so I think we'll all be okay in there."

"Y-Yeah. I'm ...sure we will, too," Bayley nervously nodded. While Bayley had a good feeling that Sami was right, there was still a part of her that was feeling nervous to even _think about_ setting foot inside. It wasn't until she felt Sami take hold of her hand that she started to feel a bit reassured about their trek into the Bearer house.

"OK, now. If everyone's ready, let's go explore us a creepy house," Punk grinned as he rubbed his hands together.

 **Well, now. It looks like things are developing quite interestingly this Halloween, huh? What with Bayley and her friends set to explore the old Bearer house and Sasha having to keep up a Bayley double back at the house with the other Gems, ...yeah, this may not end well for all sides involved. Just what will come next with Halloween in Emerald Pines? That shall be revealed in the next chapter. So, until then, which I promise won't be too far away, don't forget to R &R please. =)**

 **(xXLadyRachelXx, if you're reading this, a bit of your review on the previous chapter helped give me a bit of inspiration here, so I hope you don't mind me borrowing your idea, dear. ^^, )**

 **(One last thing from shiki: Can you all believe that new episodes of Steven Universe are FINALLY goimg to air soon? Talk about a great early Christmas present. =D )**


	50. Haunted (Part 4)

" _OK, now. If everyone's ready, let's go explore us a creepy house," Punk grinned as he rubbed his hands together._

 **Hey, guys! How's the new year been for everyone so far? I hope it's been going well for you all. =)**

 **Today, I'm** ** _finally_** **bringing an update of 'Bayley's Universe' for your reading pleasure. We rejoin Bayley and her friends as they set forth in their little tour of the old Bearer house. Who knows what macabre delights await them? *spooky voice* Read on to find out, my dolls. =)**

Hearing Punk say this, most everyone else gathered voiced their eagerness to head inside with Bayley meekly adding her own "Sure" to the bunch. Walking forward to the front door, Punk grabbed hold of the doorknob and, giving the metallic fixture a turn, slowly pushed the wooden door open, the hinges letting out a slight squeak at this. Slowly, the group filed inside the house and stood in the dark main room.

"Anyone remember to bring a flashlight along?" Punk asked. "Kind of hard to see in here right now."

"Yeah, I got one right here," AJ said, pulling a boxy black flashlight out of the messenger bag she had. Pressing a black button near the handle, AJ handed the lit flashlight to Punk.

"Thanks, AJ," Punk nodded as he took the flashlight. "Alright. Let's begin our Halloween tour."

"And just what exactly are we even looking for in here, Punkers?" Paige asked. "I doubt we'll find anything all that interesting in here. After all, don't you remember that Mr. Bearer's sons cleaned the house out before they moved out of town?"

"Never hurts to look," Punk began before adding with a smirk "What? You aren't getting … _scared_ , are you, Paigey?"

"What? Me? Scared? You must be off your rocker to even think such a thing," Paige said with a scoff and a laugh.

Hearing the younger Brit say this, Punk only grinned with a slight laugh before saying "OK, everyone. Follow me to the main attraction of the Bearer house."

Hearing Punk say this and following along behind the others, Bayley swallowed around the dryness in her throat and tightened her grip on Sami's hand a bit in nervous fear. 'Punk can't be serious. _He can't mean …_ that room _, can he_?'

Feeling Bayley's tightened grip on his hand, Sami looked over to see the nervous look on the brunette's face. "Bayley? What is it? What's wrong?"

"Th-The room that P-Punk wants to go see. I've heard stories about it, but …I don't know how true they are," Bayley got out in a low voice.

"What stories? What have you heard about this room?" Sami asked, starting to feel a bit scared himself.

"Well. The old stories about Mr. Bearer were that he was a mortician, meaning that he helped get people ready for funerals," Bayley began before swallowing and the continuing "And they say that he used to do all of that out of _here, his very own home_."

"Y-You're joking, right?" Sami asked.

All Bayley could do was shake her head No to Sami's question. Seeing the nervous look on the redhead's face, Bayley said "Hey. Those stories I was talking about, …I'm sure they were probably just made up by the adults around here to keep us from coming here by ourselves. It's no big deal."

"Are you sure?" Sami asked. Seeing Bayley nod, Sami let out a somewhat relieved sigh. "O-OK, Bayley. If you say so."

"Don't worry too much, Sami. You've got me and Punk and our friends here. I'm sure we'll be safe from anything that's in here," Bayley assured the redhead.

Hearing Bayley say all of this, Sami nodded in understanding as, this time, his grip tightened on Bayley's hand.

Feeling Sami's tightened grip, Bayley took a breath in before letting it out. ' _Don't worry, Sami. I'll do what I can to keep you and the others safe from anything that may be in here.'_

The group's silent walk only went on a few minutes longer before coming upon their destinat-

"Guys, wait!" Punk blurted, stopping right in his tracks with the others stopping just as quickly.

"What's the deal, Punk? What's up, man?" a teen with shoulder-length sandy blonde hair asked.

Pointing ahead to the room he wanted to go look around in, Punk lowly said "I don't think we're alone in here," a scared look on his face.

No one knew what to say about this at first, as they thought that maybe Punk was just trying to pull a Halloween prank on them. …But, it wasn't until they heard the sound of a pair of footsteps coming their way that they knew Punk wasn't lying. One by one, the now shocked and surprised gazes of the teens landed on-

"Mr. Bearer?!" most of the group blurted in surprise.

The person in question, a man with jet black hair that was neatly brushed down and with very bad bags under his eyes, who was dressed in a pair of black slacks, black dress shoes, and a button-down white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, stepped out of the room that the teens weren't too far from as he wiped his hands on a towel.

Seeing the group of teenagers ahead of him, the man, Mr Bearer, smiled before saying in a rather high-pitched voice "Greetings, young ones. And, welcome to my home!"

Back At Bayley's House

"That was a really good movie, Seth," Sasha said after seeing a bit of the end credits for the movie Coraline. "It definitely reminded me of the book of Bayley's I read."

"It's one of Bayley's favorites, so we always make sure to watch it for Halloween every year," Seth smiled as he took the DVD out of the DVD player and put it back in its case. "So, since we still have about another hour before Bayley's bedtime, can you all think of anything else you might want to watch?"

"Anything is fine with me, Seth," the Bayley double said with a smile.

"Anything, you say?" Dean asked, a mischievous smirk crossing his face.

"Yes, Dean. Anything is fine with me," the Bayley double repeated.

"Well, in that case," Dean began before looking through the DVDs and pulling out a movie that he had been looking forward to watching all day "I say we watch Insidious!"

"That sounds fine to me, Dean," the Bayley double smiled.

Hearing Bayley say this, Dean couldn't help but blink in surprise. "I-I was only kidding, Bayley. We don't have to watch this."

"It's okay, Dean. Anything to watch is fine with me," the Bayley double repeated once again.

Hearing Bayley say this, Dean and Seth shared a confused look with each other, as, …well, Bayley wasn't normally one that liked watching scary movies-she even had her moments where she'd get a little afraid when it came to scary things that are suitable for kids her age to watch. So, the fact that she wanted to watch a movie like this…. It just didn't sound quite right…and very much not like Bayley.

Seeing the confusion on Dean and Seth's faces, Sasha cut in and said "Um, Bayley, maybe we should watch something else. You don't want to get scared, do you?"

"Yes, Sasha, you're right. We should watch something else," the Bayley double said.

Hearing all of this still sounded quite strange to Roman, so, after rising from his seat, the brunette Gem walked over to where the two girls were sitting. Kneeling down so that he was at Bayley's eye level, Roman looked into the younger brunette's eyes.

"Um, Roman. Is …everything okay?" Sasha asked, starting to feel a bit uneasy.

"Well. Everything will be okay. After you tell us where the real Bayley is, Sasha," Roman responded as he looked to meet Sasha's surprised gaze.

 **Well, it looks like there are some ...rather interesting developments happening for both parties here. Bayley and company appear to have** ** _actually_** **met Mr. Paul Bearer himself (which definitely sounds like quite a spooky situation, considering that he's apparently been dead for years), so who knows what's to come next with that? And back at the Gems' house, it would appear that Sasha's Bayley double has been found out to be just that...a double (Oh no, they've been had! D= ). With all of this happening on both sides, it'll certainly be a Halloween to remember. So, until next time (which will be soon), don't forget to R &R please. =)**


	51. Haunted (Part 5)

_"Um, Roman. Is ...everything okay?" Sasha asked, starting to feel a bit uneasy._

 _"Well. Everything will be okay. After you tell us where the real Bayley is, Sasha," Roman responded as he looked to meet Sasha's surprised gaze._

 **So, with Sasha's Bayley double being found out, how will things unravel from here? Read on to find out, my loves...in this monster of a chapter. =)**

"What do you mean, Roman? Of course this is the real Bayley," Sasha said, trying to keep back the nerves over her double having been compromised. "Can't you see that?"

"Well, what I'm seeing here is _a_ Bayley. But, it's not _our_ Bayley," Roman stood to his normal height.

"And just how can you be so sure of that?" Sasha asked, her hands on her hips.

Leaning down so that he was looking Sasha in the eye, Roman simply said "Bayley doesn't like movies like Insidious because they give her nightmares. Maybe next time, you keep stuff like that in mind when you decide to make doubles of her."

Swallowing over her shame at being compromised, Sasha let out a defeated sigh before willing the Bayley double away. "I had forgotten that being observant was one of your stronger qualities. I guess I just learned that again the hard way."

"Yes, you did," Roman said, straightening himself and crossing his arms across his chest. "Now. Back to what I said before. Tell us where the real Bayley is, Sasha."

Letting out another defeated sigh, Sasha said "Fine, fine. If you all really must know, Bayley went out with some of her friends tonight. But, I ...don't exactly know where she said that they were going."

As Roman let out a low groan and pinched the bridge of his nose, Seth shared a worried look with Dean as he said "Oh no. This is bad. _This is very bad!_ What are we supposed to do? Who knows where Bayley and her friends could have gone to tonight?"

"Well, considering that it's probably just Sami and her friends from school, I highly doubt they could've gone that far," Dean pointed out. "They're probably just hanging around at the street fair before it closes. So, no big deal."

"But, what if they aren't, Dean? What then?" Seth countered.

While Dean tried to make another argument in defense of his own reasoning, Roman had been thinking over what Sasha said in the hopes of trying to find an answer to Bayley's whereabouts. It wasn't until his thinking over Bayley's friends helped point him in a direction of just where the younger brunette might be. Coming out from his inner thought bubble, Roman said "I think I might know where Bayley is."

 _Back At The Bearer House_

 _Seeing the group of teenagers ahead of him, the man, Mr. Bearer, smiled before saying in a rather high-pitched voice "Greetings, young ones. And, welcome to my home!"_

At first, none of the teens knew what to say as they looked ahead as they just couldn't seem to believe their eyes right now. _There was just no way that they could all be standing there looking at the dead Mr. Paul Bearer!_

Seeing that no one in the group had spoken up, Mr. Bearer said "Come now, children. There's nothing to fear. I mean you all no harm."

Finally managing to find his words-after an elbow in the side from AJ and a poke in the back from Paige-Punk cleared his throat before saying "W-Well, Mr. Bearer, sir. We ...weren't really thinking anyone would be in here tonight. ...Let alone, ... _you_ , sir."

"Now, why wouldn't you all think I wouldn't be in my own home?" Mr. Bearer inquired.

"Well, sir. It's, ...well..." Punk began.

Seeing the young brunette in front of him at a loss for words, Mr. Bearer let out a laugh before saying "Perhaps I should treat you all to some refreshment. You came all this way, and it would be rather ungracious of me to let my guests go without something to eat or drink."

With Punk still at a loss for words, AJ piped up and said "Refreshments sound nice, Mr. Bearer, sir" with a smile.

"Excellent! Now, if you all would follow me to my dining room," Mr. Bearer said before closing the door to the room he had come out of and then turning on his heel and walking away.

With the teens still frozen in place, no one said anything until Punk blurted "AJ. Pardon me for saying this, but are you _nuts?!"_ with many of the others in the group voicing similar remarks.

"Easy, guys. _Easy!_ " AJ tried to calm her friends. "I'm sure that Mr. Bearer means no harm with his offer."

"But doesn't something like this always happen in movies before... Before..." Bayley trailed off, alarming herself with her own train of thought.

"Easy, Bayley," AJ assured the ponytailed brunette. "I'm sure nothing of that sort will happen. Even if it does, you've got a group of older teens here to keep you, Sami, Paige, Becky, and Finn safe. We won't let anything happen to you guys."

Taking AJ's words into consideration, Bayley nodded in understanding. Besides, where the older teens may fail, Bayley could always step in and keep everyone safe with her shield.

AJ could only smile at the show of confidence from Bayley before getting pulled back to reality by the sound of Mr. Bearer's voice.

 _"Come along, children. I've prepared your refreshment,"_ Mr. Bearer called.

Hearing this, Punk took a breath in before turning to look back at the group. "OK, guys. We have a bit of what he has to eat and drink, and then we leave. Got it?" Getting many Yeses from the group, the older brunette walked ahead with the other teens following suit.

Following along at the back of the group, Bayley kept her hold on Sami's hand as she looked around the hallway the group was walking down. There wasn't anything all that scary on the walls that were covered in a smooth coat of white paint with a black trim along the ceiling and floor and the odd framed picture of Mr. Bearer with other people on the walls. _'Those people must be Mr. Bearer's family members,'_ Bayley thought. _'...But, I haven't seen anyone else here since we got here. Does this mean that ...he lives out here all alone? How sad.'_

Looking over to see Bayley in thought, Sami almost ventured to ask the brunette what was up when the group stopping along with many surprised remarks caught the duo by surprise. It wasn't until Sami and Bayley looked ahead that they saw just why everyone-and soon they themselves-seemed so surprised: The group was now standing in the entrance to Mr. Bearer's rather lavish dining room with walls painted a soft red with black trim along the floor and ceiling that was lit by two crystal chandeliers and was filled with a long table that was covered with a spread of assorted cookies, pastries, cakes, and beverages ranging from water to tea.

"Whoa. Check out the spread," Becky said in awe.

"I'll say," Finn added, his eyes trailing over to a display of cupcakes.

"Y-You didn't have to go to all this trouble, Mr. Bearer, sir," AJ said to the older man.

"Nonsense! It's the least I could do for the intrepid travelers that have come to my home," Mr. Bearer smiled. "Now, what are you all waiting for? Help yourselves to the treats I have prepared."

Looking among the group to see mostly wary expressions, Punk took a breath in and walked to take a seat in one of the chairs nearest to the dining room entrances. Having taken his seat, the brunette reached out and took a double chocolate chocolate chip cookie from the tray that was in front of him. First taking a few sniffs of the cookie, Punk then slowly brought the cookie to his mouth to take a bite.

 _On The Walk To The Bearer House_

"Of all the places Bayley's friends would want to go to, why did it have to be to the Bearer house?" Seth wondered out loud as the Gem quartet made their way through the woods to where Roman felt Bayley and her friends were. "They could've just gone to a haunted house like normal kids do!"

"Oh, come on, Seth. Old Mr. B's house isn't _that_ bad," Dean said. "It's actually kept pretty clean for a house that hasn't been stayed in all that often lately."

"That may be true, but what if any of those kids came across any of Mr. Bearer's old tools or anything else he had in there? What then, Dean? Huh?!" Seth countered.

While Dean thought of a response to Seth's somewhat hysterical line of reasoning, Sasha's curiosity got piqued upon hearing the two-toned Gem's remarks. "Roman, I'm confused. What did Seth mean when he talked about this Mr. Bearer having old tools or anything else in his home?"

"Well, Mr. Paul Bearer was the resident mortician here, meaning that he would help prepare the bodies of dead humans for their final rest and burial," Roman explained. "As far as we've known, his sons were going to keep an eye on his house so that no one will run afoul of any old tools or anything else he may have left inside."

"Oh, I see," Sasha nodded in understanding before realizing that she had let Bayley go into such a place. "And I let Bayley go into such a place!"

Seeing the slight worry start to cross Sasha's face, Roman rested his right hand on the magenta-haired Gem's head. With Sasha looking up to meet his gaze, Roman said "Sasha, relax. Yes, it is ...technically because of you that Bayley's here. But, you shouldn't let that get to you too much."

"Wha-? I'm confused here though, Roman. Haven't you been paying attention to the fact that it's because of _me_ that Bayley's even out here?" Sasha asked. "How can you even say that I shouldn't let it get to me?"

"Well. What I'm trying to say is that ...I always had a feeling that the day would come when Bayley would want to do something different for Halloween, and it seems that day has come sooner than I thought it would. So, don't beat yourself up too much about this," Roman assured the magenta-haired Gem.

Taking what Roman said into consideration, Sasha tried her best not to let the situation with Bayley get to her. ...But, the closer they got to the Bearer house, the more Sasha couldn't help but let a number of worst case scenarios go through her thoughts...

...So, it certainly didn't help things when the Gems got close to the front door and they heard a voice coming from inside the house loudly moaning _"No, stop. Please! No more!"_

Without a second thought, Sasha summoned her whip and, kicking open the front door, ran inside to try to find the source of the yelling. It wasn't until she had heard a similar moan that she headed straight down the hallway that was in directly in front of her. Sasha's frantic run had taken her to a room near the back of the rather large house where she could see Bayley and all of her friends leaning back in chairs, some rubbing their stomachs and some moaning, faces covered in all manner of frostings and crumbs. Running over to where she saw Bayley was sitting, Sasha asked "Bayley? Are you okay? You haven't been harmed, have you?"

Hearing the frantic conversation beside her, Bayley looked over to see Sasha standing near her. Smiling a bit weakly, Bayley said "Hey, Sasha. When did you get here?"

"I just got here with Seth, Dean, and Roman. But, back to the point at hand. Are you okay?" Sasha asked, looking over the brunette for anything in the way of wounds.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay. I _might've_ eaten a bit too much, though," Bayley laughed a bit. "Mr. Bearer's pretty good at baking."

"B-But... But, I heard moaning from outside," Sasha said, feeling fairly confused.

"Moaning?" Bayley asked in confusion before realizing "Oh! That might've been Matt and Nick you heard. Nick's pretty full, but Matt keeps trying to make him eat more" and pointing at the source of the noise.

Following the direction in which Bayley was pointing, Sasha looked across the table to see a boy with long sandy blonde hair pushing away a cupcake that a boy with long dark brown hair kept trying to make him eat.

"Come on, Nick. Just...one...more," the brunette got out.

"No, Matt. _Stop!_ I said, no more!" the other boy, Nick, grunted as he pushed Matt's hand away.

Her guard lowering a bit, Sasha took a better look around the table and saw that the others with Bayley all had plates that were covered with mostly eaten cookies and pastries and cakes. "Goodness. It ...certainly looks like you all have more than had your fill."

"Mmhmm," Bayley nodded. "Like I said, Mr. Bearer's pretty good at baking."

Before Sasha could ask about this "Mr. Bearer" that Bayley kept mentioning, a high-pitched voice coming from behind her caught her by surprise.

 _"Oh, my. Another visitor. Welcome!"_

Spinning around, whip at the ready, Sasha found herself facing a rather pale older man. "Who goes there?"

Seeing Sasha in the state she was in, Bayley said "Sasha, relax. That's just Mr. Bearer. The kind man that owns this place."

Hearing Bayley say this, Sasha lowered her whip a bit before saying "Good evening, Mr. Bearer. My name is Sasha, and I'm a friend of Bayley's."

"Welcome, Sasha! Might I interest you in something from what's left of my assortment of refreshments?" Mr. Bearer gestured to the table.

"N-No, thank you, but I appreciate the offer," Sasha smiled a bit uneasily. "Come on now, Bayley. I think it's time that you and your friends should leave."

As he looked to the younger brunette, who seemed set to object, Mr. Bearer let out a chuckle. "Perhaps your spirited friend here is right. It has gotten rather late, and I wouldn't to keep you all from your families."

Upon hearing Mr. Bearer mention being kept from their families and just now realizing that Sasha was there, Bayley quickly put it together that Roman and the others must have found out about Sasha creating a double of her so that she could sneak out. "Oh, no. Rom-Dad and my uncles are probably worried so much about me right now."

 _"Not anymore, we aren't,_ " a voice said from the dining room entrance.

Looking in the direction of the voice, Bayley saw Roman, Dean, and Seth standing together. "R-Dad. Uncle Seth, Uncle Dean."

"Oh, Bayley, thank goodness," Seth said in relief. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Not really, Uncle Seth. I mean, I'm feeling pretty full, but other than that, I'm fine," Bayley said.

"That's a relief to hear," Dean said. "Now, come on, everyone. It's time we get you all back home before it gets even later than it already is."

Hearing this come from the older sandy blonde, the teens all voiced messages similar to "OK" to heading back to their homes. Rising from their seats, the teens one-by-one said Goodbye to Mr. Bearer with Bayley and Sami being the last two.

"Th-Thank you for allowing us to come into your home tonight, M-Mr. Bearer, sir," Bayley said, looking up at the older man.

"No worries, child. It isn't too often that I get visitors, so tonight was quite the pleasant treat," Mr. Bearer smiled. "If only more visitors would stop in when I'm in town."

"What Mr. Bearer means is that, since he lives out of town, he comes back to visit and check on his home every October just to make sure all is still well here," Seth explained.

"Your friend is right," Mr. Bearer nodded. "Although, I do ask my sons to step in and keep a check on my home, I still like to come back and see how things are doing here for myself."

"That's nice," Bayley smiled. "I hope maybe some day soon, we'll have to chance to meet your sons."

Sharing a smile with Roman and Seth, Dean said "Come on, Bayley. I think we really should be leaving now. I'm sure Sami's parents are probably quite worried about him."

"Oh, right, right!" Bayley chirped. "It was nice seeing you tonight, Mr. Bearer. I hope we get to see you again next year."

"I quite look forward to it, child," Mr. Bearer smiled.

Smiling herself as she gave Mr. Bearer a quick hug, Bayley and Sami finally left with Roman, Dean, Seth, and Sasha only for Bayley to turn and wave goodbye to Mr. Bearer with the older man returning her wave with one of his own. Keeping hold of Sami's hand, Bayley and the other Gems left out of the warmth of Mr. Bearer's home and into the cold chill of the Halloween night.

Walking along the path they had followed to reach Mr. Bearer's home, the last group of six made their way into town with Roman being the one to break the silence among the group.

"So, Bayley. Did you enjoy your time out tonight?" Roman asked.

Already being aware of the fact that her double had been found out due to the other Gems having found her, Bayley immediately began to apologize. "I'm so sorry, guys! I would've told you all that I was going out tonight, but I just didn't know how to even bring it up! I'm really sorry about all of this."

Looking between himself and the other Gems in confusion, Seth said "Bayley. We get it that you may be feeling a bit guilty about sneaking out, but ...you don't have to apologize for it."

"But... But, I snuck out on you guys. Not to mention, I skipped out on our Halloween celebration this year," Bayley hung her head.

Walking over to where Bayley was standing, Roman rested a hand on Bayley's head, causing the ponytailed brunette to look up at him. "Bayley. Like Seth said, you don't have to apologize for it."

Looking up at Roman, Bayley couldn't keep the confusion off of her face as she asked "Wha... What do you mean, Ro?"

"Well, we've always had a feeling that the day would come when you'd want to go out and do things with your friends. So, the fact that you went out with your friends tonight is no big deal," Roman explained.

"We just want to feel at ease when you do go out that you're safe and out of harm's way. Even though we know that you can defend yourself," Dean added.

"You guys," Bayley said before giving Roman a tight hug and burying her face in his jacket, as she had started to cry a bit.

Saying nothing, Roman smiled as he patted Bayley on the head.

Smiling himself as he watched this, Seth then said "Of course, this doesn't change the fact that since you didn't tell us where you were going _and_ that you had Sasha help you sneak out, you both are grounded, young lady."

Pulling away from Roman, Bayley moaned "Aww, man. _Really_ , Seth?"

Confused by this word "grounded", Sasha asked "I'm confused. What is this "grounded" you speak of, Seth? Does that mean you're going to bury me and Bayley in the ground?"

"No, Sasha. It's nothing like that," Bayley shook her head. "...It's _a lot_ worse."

"Worse? How could this "grounded" be worse than what I mentioned?" Sasha asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"You'll see, runt. You'll see," Dean grinned a bit mischievously.

 **Well, it looks like things ended ...fairly well. Sure there was a moment of worry when Sasha first found Bayley and her friends in the Bearer house, but that was gone as soon as she found out that it was due to the teens all having full bellies from eating a lot of the sweets Mr. Bearer gave them. As for the teens, I'm sure this Halloween will be a night to remember. And, after all of this, turns out the Gems took Bayley being out with her friends pretty well...until Seth brought down the hammer and said that Bayley and Sasha were grounded for their little stunt. Poor Gems. XD Next chapter will be the end of the arc, as we get to see how Bayley and Sasha serve their grounding sentence and other stuff to wrap the arc up. Until next time, don't forget to R &R please. =)**


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